Gohan and the Titan's Curse
by LordCaldrin45
Summary: When a mission to rescue fellow demigods go awry, Annabeth is captured and must fight to survive. The goddess Artemis has vanished and a mysterious new monster has emerged that has the power to destroy Olympus. Thus, Gohan and his friends embark on a new quest to save Annabeth and Artemis. Friends and foes new and old will emerge and everything will change. Forever.
1. A Dire Situation

Annabeth let out a loud grunt as she ran, her breath escaping from her in shorts bursts. She tore through the snow, kicking it up behind her like a cloud. Something whistled past her, and she turned long enough to see a spike embedded in the tree branch next to her. She ignored it and kept running. She hated doing this. It went against her every instinct. Every part of her screamed to stand her ground and fight like a warrior. But she couldn't. Not against this.

"RUN!" Thalia's voice roared nearby. It was cut off by the sound of metal clashing. Annabeth ducked when two more spikes shot over her head. She could hear the sound of Grover's reed pipes fainly in the background, but seemed to be have little effect, based on the massive roar that echoed after it. But she pushed all that out of her head to focus on the far more serious problem.

"Snap out of it! This isn't you! Fight it!" She screamed, but received no answer in response. Instead, a bright yellow light shot past her and slammed into a nearby tree, causing it to explode in a bright yellow flash. Annabeth flinched as the force of the blast slammed into her, sending her flying into a large snowdrift. She groaned as she pushed herself up. Her knife lay several feet away, glistening in the snow. She pushed herself to her feet and raced towards it.

But, before Annabeth could grab her knife, she felt something slam into her, slamming her back onto the ground with a loud grunt, the wind rushing from her lungs. Then, she gasped as a firm hand wrapped around her throat and yanked her into the air, causing her to let out a loud wheeze as she choked, her legs kicking in the air. She punched and kicked desperately, but to no avail. Her vision began to darken, narrowing to a point. The face of the man strangling her to death.

"Gohan… d… don't…"

Gohan glared at her, completely silent. His eyes, normally filled with excitement and laughter, were completely empty. Void of all life. Even more unsettling was that his eyes were glowing pink. Behind him, a howl of laughter erupted.

"Finish her off! KILL HER! He raised his other hand, and a bright yellow ball of energy formed in it, growing brighter and brighter. Annabeth whimpered softly. It couldn't end like this. Not by him!

"Go…han… p-please…" Gohan glared at her, unmoving and unflinching. Annabeth met his gaze, her eyes glaring right into his.

"KILL HER NOW!" Gohan roared as he brought his hand down.


	2. Delay Announcement

Dear readers

Due to the impending threat of Hurricane Irma, I have to delay work on this story to safely prepare for the worst. And there will likely be power outages in the subsequent weeks, thus disabling both my computer and Internet connection. So, my story will be delayed for now until things get back to normal. I'll try to finish the next chapter before the storm hits, but no guarantees.

Stay safe, fellow readers.


	3. Reconnecting with Old Friends

**Hi everyone! I'm okay! Thankfully, Hurricane Irma did very minor damage to my home, mainly just knocked out the power and Internet for several days! But I'm back, and here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

 **12 hours earlier…**

Gohan sighed as he stood at the front of the starting line, stretching out his limbs. Int front of him, the climbing wall loomed, lava oozing from the cracks. Chiron stood on a nearby hill, a stopwatch in hand.

"Now!" Gohan shot forward and sprang up the wall, springing from one ledge to the other. He quickly reached the top, where a bow and quiver were perched. He grabbed them and took position, standing precariously while avoiding the law as he nocked three arrows at once, then aimed at three targets on the practice range. He let go, causing the arrows to rocket from him like missiles. Finally, he leaped from the top, flipping through the air until landing squarely on the ground. Then, the air whistles as a flurry of arrows flew from the forest. Gohan whipped out Ascension and swung, slicing the arrows in half as he weaved, until the ground in front of him was littered with broken arrows. He paced around slowly, his ears alert. Then, he whirled just as Chiron burst from the trees, sword in hand. Gohan had to admit, he was impressed with how Chiron was able to completely mask his approach, given that he had hooves. He caught Chiron's sword in a downwards strike and thrust up, causing Chiron to stumble back. Gohan leaped into the air, flipping as he caught Chiron's next strike, landing behind him and slicing downwards. Chiron was barely able to deflect it. Gohan then thust his sword hand forward, generating a massive blast of wind that slammed into Chiron and sent him sliding back several feet. Gohan then followed up with a giant leap and landed right in front of Chiron, his sword tip inches from Chiron's head. After a long tense minute, Gohan raised his sword, allowing Chiron to stand and sheath his own sword.

"Well?" Gohan asked with an excited expression.

"Very impressive. You shaved your previous record by eight seconds." A grin broke across Gohan's face. He'd been working hard to break his record. One time, he had accidentally slipped off the top as he leaped to the top and ended up with a mouthful of water.

"Why do I have to do this exercise again?" Gohan asked. Chiron let out a sigh of exasperation as he rose.

"Like I said before, this exercise is important for improving your balance and accuracy. Your previous training, based on what you've described to me, mainly focused on your inner energy and hand-to-hand combat. The uniqueness has worked so far, even against Ares. That combat style, however, has its flaws. Your immense power has compensated these flaws, but it won't last forever. I do appreciate you holding yourself back so these duels are somewhat equal." Gohan shrugged.

"I've done pretty good so far. Plus, I've gotten pretty good with my sword!"

"Yes. Your skills have improved significantly since the summer. I haven't trained a hero with this much raw talent since Hercules." Gohan felt a bit of pride at that, given that Hercules was one of the most legendary heroes ever.

"Now then, let us proceed to the-"

"Chiron!" Chiron was cut off by a satyr who raced up to them, looking completely out of breath.

"What is it, Tralion?" Chiron bent down, allowing the satyr to whisper into his ear. Gohan wasn't sure what he was saying, but based on the sudden shift in Chiron's expression, it wasn't good. The satyr bowed and raced into the forest.

"Something wrong, Chiron?" Gohan asked. Chiron looked at Gohan for a minute before nodding.

"Yes. It seems your training is finished for today. I need you for a quest." Gohan perked up when he heard that. He had been cooped up at camp for months now. Well, except for that one night he snuck out for pizza.

"Why?"

"I just received a message from Grover." Gohan was surprised, to say the least.

"Grover? Isn't he supposed to be searching for that lost god? Pan?"

"He was. But these are desperate times, Gohan. You know that. We're been losing campers. Many of them have simply vanished, right out of the blue."

"You think they're defecting?"

"It's possible. But, some of them… I know them, Gohan. They wouldn't have defected. Something else is at work here. Something worse."

"Worse than-"

"Don't speak his name!" Chiron interrupted as the sky rumbled. Both of them knew exactly what Gohan was referring to. Kronos, King of the Titans. After an awkward pause, Chiron continued.

"We need all the new fighters we can find. Thus, I've sent Grover and the other satyrs all over the country, scouring schools from fourth grade through high school for possible recruits. We've had some successes." Gohan was a little shocked at the realization that he hadn't really been paying attention in the past few months.

"Why haven't you been telling me any of this?"

"Your training was more important. We felt that it was more critical for you to improve your abilities for the next battle. Which, it seems, is now."

"Really?"

"Yes. Grover is currently stationed at a school in Bar Harbor, Maine. It's called Westover Hall, a military academy. Grover believes that he has found two powerful demigods."

"Really?" Chiron looked unsettled as he stroked his beard.

"Yes. However, there is a complication."

"Why am I not surprised? Actually, I'd be more surprised if things went off without a hitch."

"Hmph. It seems that something is stalking them. Unfortunately, Grover's message was somewhat vague. We're not sure what you're dealing with. After what happened with Percy…"

"You mean the psycho fury math teacher?" Chiron looked annoyed by that reminder.

"Yes. The fury."

"So, you want me to go?"

"Yes…" Gohan noted the slight hesitation in his voice.

"What?"

"I would prefer you take a team with you as a precaution. Percy, Annabeth and Thalia will do. They should be out of school soon. " Gohan was happy to hear that until Thalia's name was mentioned. The look on his face must have said it all, based on the annoyed expression on Chiron's face.

"Gohan…"

"I didn't start it! She hates me!" Gohan was of course referring to the numerous clashes between himself and Thalia last summer, ever since their first "violent" meeting after Thalia had been freed from her tree. After that, they had gotten into numerous arguments and clashes over seemingly trivial matters. Annabeth had been the only one who could break up said mentioned fights.

"You and Thalia are still both fellow campers. And, when the time comes that we all must fight together against… him, it is important for us to resolve our differences and trust each other. After all, how can we defeat our enemies if we can't trust each other?" As annoyed as Gohan was, he had to admit Chiron was right. It sounded exactly like something his own dad would have said, given his uncanny ability to turn enemies into allies.

"Go to Percy first. I will call Ms. Jackson to let her know you are coming. Then gather Annabeth and Thalia and travel to Westover Hall. Hurry. Time is of the essence." Chiron then raced towards the Big House, leaving Gohan alone on the field. He let out a deep sigh of exasperation as he looked over the camp.

See, the camp has the ultimate magic climate control. Nothing gets inside the borders unless the director, Mr. D, wants it to. Another god that Gohan had gotten on the bad side of. And it wasn't even his fault. Just bad luck that Gohan had smashed into his strawberry field when he had first arrived in this world, and the god had hated him ever since. Though his two kids weren't bad at all, even though Gohan had nearly squashed them in the previously said event.

The camp certainly looked different in winter than in summer. Instead of bright and sunny, the snow had been allowed to fall lightly. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed in the woods, and weirdest of all, a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House, where the Oracle dwelt, imprisoned in an old mummified body. Gohan hadn't seen the Oracle in almost two years, but he was sure that it was still pretty creepy to look at. Gohan grumbled as he shook his head.

"Well, better get going." He kicked off the ground and shot into the sky, a blue aura surrounding him. Camp Half-Blood quickly faded into the distance as he rocketed away. Gohan whistled to himself as he shot over the trees, going high enough up as so to avoid detection by mortals. It took about ten minutes at his speed to reach New York City. The city spread out in front of him, a vast network of towers and buildings. He could also see Brooklyn from here, where he knew Carter and Sadie lived in the Twenty-First Nome, still recruiting and training more magicians in the arts of the Egyptian gods. The sheer amount of gods in the world could give you a headache when you thought about it.

It took about ten minutes for Gohan to find Percy's house, given that Percy had moved to a new home last year, and Gohan wasn't exactly the best when it came to reading addresses. It took a few tries, and had one hilarious accident when an old lady saw him flying past her window and screamed about aliens. Which actually wasn't that far from the actual truth. After finally finding Percy's building, he landed on the opposite building and slid down the side, landing with a loud thump. That was easy compared to the doorman.

"Once again, Percy Jackson! Black hair, green eyes! He lives here!" The doorman gave him an annoyed look, which basically said to get lost.

"Look, I heard you the first time! But I cannot let you in! You smell like a sewer." Gohan growled in frustration.

"Gohan? Is that you?" Gohan turned to see no other than Percy, still dressed in his school uniform with his backpack hanging from his shoulder.

"You know this guy?" the doorman asked.

"Yes, Ricardo. He's a good friend of mine." The doorman nodded, and then pulled the door open to allow the boys through. Gohan marveled a bit as he followed Percy to the elevator. It was intriguing for Gohan, being only the second time that he had ever After a short ride, they got off on the fifth floor.

"Well… here's my apartment." Percy pulled the door open, allowing Gohan in. He was a bit taken back, though.

"This place is really… blue." Gohan meant that literally. Everything was the color blue. The curtains, the rug, the wallpaper. The only things that weren't blue was the furniture, but even they had blue covers on them.

"We like the color blue."

"I can see that. I think anyone with eyes can see that."

"You done?" Percy asked with an amused look on his face. Apparently, he got that a lot.

"I was actually expecting an aquarium." Percy chuckled.

"Nope. My mom has never let me have any fish. Everytime I walk past a pet store, the fish all press up against the glass. It's really creepy." Both boys were silent for a minute, and then spontaneously burst into laughter. Then, they embraced each other in a crushing hug.

"Gods, I've missed you!"

"Same here!" "Man, Percy, you got taller."

"And you got bulkier. I didn't even know that was possible." Gohan cracked a grin. It really was great to see Percy again. He even thought of him as a brother. Percy had been one of the first people Gohan had met in this new world that he had bonded with right away, and that bond had only been solidified through all their adventures together. At that moment, Percy's mom walked in. She looked surprised, to say the least.

"Percy! I didn't know you were bringing a friend over! I would have cooked a batch of blue cookies." Gohan smiled as he turned.

"Food?" Percy rolled his eyes.

"Hi, Ms. Jackson. It's good to see you again." He hadn't seen Percy's mother since the quest for the Master Bolt, when he had been kidnapped by Percy's crazy godly uncle, Hades. He had had a few fierce words with her abusive husband, Smelly Gabe. Ironically, it had ended up that she didn't need his or Percy's help. Ms. Jackson had later turned Gave into a statue with Medusa's head and sold him to an art gallery. Gohan had been really impressed, to say the least. In many ways, she reminded him of his own mother. The thought both saddened and delighted him. He knew that they both would like each other if they ever met.

"Gohan, right? You smell rather… ripe." Sally remarked. Gohan blinked as he sniffed himself. Now that he noticed, he did smell a little foul. And that would explain the looks people had given him on his way over here.

"Yeah… I was training, and ran right here. Bit of a rush."

"So, what brings you by? I didn't think I'd be seeing you until the summer. Must be pretty important." Gohan sighed.

"Chiron sent me. Grover's in trouble." Percy perked up immediately. His mother looked concerned. She knew what that meant.

"Tell me everything." Gohan filled in Percy on everything Chiron had told him.

"So Chiron wants me, you, Annabeth and Thalia to go to Westover Point and help Grover get those new demigods." Gohan finished. Percy had a grim expression on his face.

"I'm in. You don't even have to ask twice. Annabeth will be too. But Thalia?"

"I know."

"She hates you. Like, _despises_ you."

"I know!" Both boys then chuckled.

"This is totally Chiron's attempt at trying to get us all to bond, isn't it?"

"He did basically say that." Percy sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"We need to go now. Mom?" Percy's mom didn't even need to be asked. She already had her keys in her hand. Gohan was actually slightly awed. She was essentially driving her son, her only son, into a dangerous situation that he could be killed in. But she was doing it anyway. Gohan was starting to see why Poseidon had fallen in love with her.

"I'll drive you." Gohan smiled as he scratched his head. He really didn't like cars. Too cramped, really slow(by his standards) and just plain uncomfortable.

"I can fly us. Take way less time." Percy shook his head.

"You can't carry the three of us to Maine, Gohan. No, my mom can take us. Cars aren't that bad, you know. Come on." Percy and his mother then rushed out the door. Gohan sighed, and followed them.

"Maybe this road trip won't be so bad."


	4. Traps and Plans

After eight hours, Gohan had made a new discovery about himself.

" _I hate cars!"_ he throught in frustration, awkwardly shifting in his cramped seat. That earned him an elbow in the side, causing him to yelp in annoyance.

"Stop whining, you big baby." Thalia snorted. Gohan gave her a scathing glare.

"I'm just saying, I prefer flying!" Gohan could have sworn that Thalia paled for a second, but quickly regained her composure.

"Well, sorry that we can't all fly wherever we want at five hundred miles per hour like some type of super man!" Thalia countered.

"Guys, come on. We're almost there!" Annabeth interrupted, her eyes darting from Gohan to Thalia. After a long pause, Thalia finally snorted and stuck her nose back into the novel she was trying to read. In the front seat, Percy and his mother traded looks. Gohan groaned in exasperation as he leaned back and reflected on the past eight hours.

It had been an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine. Sleet and snow pounded the highway. It had been an entertaining eight hours to say the least. After meeting with Percy, they had driven to Brooklyn to pick up Annabeth and Thalia at the boarding school that they were both attending, close enough to Camp Half-Blood that Chiron could help if they got in any trouble. It was an all- girls school. Thankfully, they got there just as school let out, and caught Annabeth and Thalia right as they were leaving the building. Needless to say, they jumped right on board, though Thalia and Gohan were a little… tense towards each other. Needless to say, the car ride was awkward to say the least. Gohan, Annabeth, Thalia, and Percy hadn't seen each other in months, but between the blizzard and the thought of what they were about to do, they were too nervous to talk much. To be fair, he wasn't talking more to avoid conversation with Thalia than out of fear. Instead, he tried to chat with Annabeth. It was a bit frustrating, as Thalia had deliberately sat herself right between Gohan and Annabeth, taking up the middle seat.

One amusing ease of the tension came from Percy's mom, as it turns out she talks _more_ when she's nervous. By the time they finally got to Westover Hall, it was getting dark, and she'd told them every embarrassing baby story there was to tell about Percy, earning a few laughs and snickers in response, much to Percy's chagrin. Though, he had a strong feeling that his own mother would have done exactly the same thing.

Thalia wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."

Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other. Just looking at it gave Gohan an ominous feeling. He reached out with his ki senses. They had improved somewhat since he had first arrived, but it was still very foggy. He could sense things, but very muddled and blurry. Then, Gohan sensed… something. His face darkened, but didn't say anything. Annabeth noticed, though. She was good at reading him.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" Percy's mother asked.

"No, thanks, Mom," Percy said. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay. After all, we've got the daughter of Zeus and a boy who can vaporize mountains with his finger. We'll be okay."

"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy."

Percy hoped he wasn't blushing.

"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Annabeth smiled reassuringly. Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her gray eyes were the same color as the ocean. We'll keep him out of trouble. Keeping Gohan from raiding the kitchen? That's another story." That got a chuckle out of everyone. Gohan simply smiled and rolled his eyes.

"First I have to find it." That got another chorus of laughter.

Percy's mom seemed to relax a little. She thinks Annabeth is the most levelheaded demigod ever to hit eighth grade. She's sure Annabeth often kept him from getting killed. She's right, but that doesn't mean he have to like it. Plus, Gohan had saved his neck too on more than one occasion. Having someone who could fly, had super strength, and shot energy beams out of his hands was a great asset.

"All right, dears," Percy's mom said. "Do you have everything you need?" "Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. "Thanks for the ride." "Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?" "Mom—"

"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"

"I can fly, you know." Gohan muttered beneath his breath.

"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."

Annabeth, Thalia and Gohan followed Percy outside. The wind blew straight through his coat like ice daggers. Gohan pressed his lips together as he clenched his fest and rolled his neck, making several cracking noises.

Once her car was out of sight, Thalia said, "Your mom is so cool, Percy."

"That's something we all agree on."

"She's pretty okay," Percy admitted. "What about you, Thalia? You ever get in touch with your mom?"

As soon as Percy said it, he wished he hadn't. Thalia was great at giving evil looks, what with the punk clothes she always wears—the ripped-up army jacket, black leather pants and chain jewelry, the black eyeliner and those intense blue eyes. But the look she gave Percy now was a perfect evil "ten."

"If that was any of your business, Percy—"

"Gohan, what's wrong?" Annabeth interrupted. Everyone turned to look at Gohan, who once again had a dark expression on his face. Percy was a little unnerved at the sight.

"We're being watched." That statement sent chills down everyone's spine. Thalia's hand reached towards her wristwatch, while Percy reached for his pen. Almost as if by cue, a soft giggle echoed through the air.

"Come and play, little demigods… don't keep us waiting." Then, a rustle of leaves whistled in the air, followed by silence. After a long tense minute, Gohan finally spoke.

"Whatever that was, it's gone." Percy released the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding, rushing from him like helium from a balloon.

"What was that?" he asked. Annabeth and Thalia shook their heads.

"No idea. Sounded like it was female, though. Which could mean any of a large number of monsters." Thalia answered. Percy shook his head.

"It said us. So, there's more than one." Annabeth noted.

"That's just great. So, we have no idea what we're walking into." Percy grumbled.

"Yep."

Thalia looked at the castle and shivered. "You're right. I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."

"Nothing good…" Gohan sighed as he shook his head.

"This is a trap, isn't it?" he asked.

"Probably."

"So… what do we do?"

"Simple. We spring it. Let the enemy tip their hand."

"That's your plan? Walk into a trap? What happened to Athena always has a plan?" Annabeth breathed into her hands and rubbed them.

"Come on, Grover will be waiting." She strode off towards the school, with Thalia close behind.

"Girls!" Percy muttered. That got a chuckle out of Gohan.

"She does have a point, Percy. We can just rush into a school of kids guns blazing. We don't know anything yet. Besides, I'm pretty sure we combined can handle anything they have to throw at us."

"I hope you're right." They took off after the girls, stomping through the snow.

On the roof of Westover Hall, two figures watched the small group approach. The first was cloaked in silver armor, his piercing grey eyes narrowed into thin slits. The second smiled, her golden aura a stark contrast to the white winter landscape. Standing near her was like having a heater; she was warm to the touch.

"They came. Exactly as you predicted." The boy didn't answer as he continued to study them. Watching. Observing. Calculating.

"Still silent as ever, I see." She hummed softly as she leaned against a stone column and stroked the lyre in her hand, letting the notes fill the air as she began to sing:

" _He flew through the towers of the city, down from Mount Olympus on high. Through beasts and monsters plenty,_ _He fought to his lover's side._ _For she was his forbidden treasure, with golden hair and knife. She was his secret passion, full of longing and bliss. For power and glory are nothing, compared to a woman's warmth and kiss._ _For hands of gold are always cold,_ _b_ _ut a woman's hands are warm! For hands of gold are always cold, but a woman's hands are warm…"_ she trailed off, letting the notes shimmer in the air before fading into silence.

"What do you think? One of my latest pieces." She pouted in annoyance when she was met with silence yet again.

Then, a rush of air signaled the arrival of the final member of their party. She landed next to them, giggling with a wide smile on her face. A pink aura pulsed around her, shimmering in the snow. Everything about her was fluid, always changing.

"Took you long enough, Amortentia." The girl rolled her eyes.

"Enough! He spoke, causing them both to look at him with intrigue. His grey eyes pierced into them. That was the most unsettling thing about him. He rarely spoke, but he didn't need to. Anything he needed to say one could read just off his impression. Amortentia scoffed as she strode over to him and purred as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Why so serious? We're about to have so much fun. So many demigods, come to play… I want the daughter of Zeus for myself. The Athena girl is all yours…" she purred into his ear. The boy smiled.

"We need them all alive." She let out a clearly over exaggerated whine and twirled away from him.

"Party-pooper."

"Enough. You both know what to do." The two girls nodded and vanished in flashes of gold and pink, respectively. The boy turned and looked back down as the group reached the doors. His grey eyes twinkled in both excitement and anticipation as silver sparks danced across his body.

"Finally…"


	5. High School Dances Really Suck

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter in this saga. Sorry that its been so long, but college has been a real headache. Also, in light of the approaching Star Wars film** _ **The Last Jedi**_ **, I've decided to also finish my story** _ **Harry Potter: The Magic Awakens**_ **. So, check it out! Anyway, back to this story!**

"So… here we go." Percy blew into his hands as they looked at the imposing oak doors. Annabeth sighed in exasperation.

"Come on." She gave the doors a push. The oak doors groaned open, and the four of them stepped into the entry hall in a swirl of snow.

All Percy could say was, "Whoa."

The place was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and weapon displays: antique rifles, battle axes, and a bunch of other stuff. Sure, Percy knew Westover was a military school and all, but the decorations seemed like overkill. Literally.

"I really don't like this…" Gohan muttered as he looked around. Reflexively, several blue sparks danced across his chest.

Percy's hand went to his pocket, where he kept his lethal ballpoint pen, Riptide. He could already sense something wrong in this place. He was sure that would have known that even without that creepy invitation. Thalia was rubbing her silver bracelet, her favorite magic item. They were all thinking the same thing. A fight was coming.

"Well, we haven't been jumped yet. That's a good sign." Thalia commented.

Annabeth started to say, "I wonder where—" The doors slammed shut behind them with a loud boom. "Oo-kay," Percy mumbled. "Guess we'll stay awhile."

"Worst case scenario, I smash the door down." That got nods in response.

"Everyone watch a different corner. We're not getting jumped." More nods.

They could hear music echoing from the other end of the hall. It sounded like dance music. They stashed their overnight bags behind a pillar and started down the hall.

"So, this is a military school. What exactly makes it different from normal school? Are they an army?" Gohan asked as he looked at the displays and flags. Percy and Annabeth traded looks.

"Well… they're a bit more strict than normal school. When I was in fifth grade, my principal wanted to send me to one. Thankfully, I didn't end having to go thanks to my mom." Percy answered.

"Military schools are where parents send their kids to "straighten" them out and teach them "discipline." Because they think we're nothing but troublemakers who need a good beating. So they send us to places like this to beat us and force us into the perfect little non-troublemaking angels that they don't have to deal with anymore." Thalia spat in a furious rant, her fists shaking. When she was done, the others were looking at her with a nervous expression. Except Annabeth. Her expression was more of worry than nervousness.

"Okay… wow. That's a little blunt…" Gohan laughed nervously as he scratched his head with a silly grin on his face.

"Something funny?" Thalia snapped.

"Nope. Nothing funny here. Very serious! Military schools are bad. Got it." Annabeth shook her head.

"Unbelievable." Then, a loud clang made them all jump and reach for their weapons. After a moment of silence, they relaxed.

"I hate this." Gohan stated angrily. Percy was confused.

"Hate what? This quest?"

"No. This part. The waiting. Anxiety of waiting for the battle to start. Part of me just wants the fight to be over with." Annabeth nodded.

"Agreed. But we have no idea what we're facing here. And a school's not the safest place to start a fight, especially given your… destructive abilities."

"You make things go boom." Percy added. Gohan rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Obviously I'm not going to do that. Chiron has taught me a few tricks with my sword these past few months."

"A sword you don't deserve." Thalia growled. Gohan tensed up.

"Guys. _Enough_." Annabeth's change in voice clearly indicated her frustration.

They hadn't gone very far when they heard footsteps on the stone floor, and a man and woman marched out of the shadows to intercept them.

They both had short gray hair and black military-style uniforms with red trim. The woman had a wispy mustache, and the guy was clean-shaven, which seemed kind of backward to me. They both walked stiffly, like they had broomsticks taped to their spines.

"Well?" the woman demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"Um..." Gohan scratched his head at the realization that he hadn't planned for this. He'd been so focused on getting to Westover and finding out what was wrong, he hadn't considered that someone might question four kids sneaking into the school at night. They hadn't talked at all in the car about how they would get inside.

" _Stupid. And careless."_ Gohan thought in frustration. Piccolo would be ashamed at such stupidity.

Percy said, "Ma'am, we're just—"

"Ha!" the man snapped, which made him jump. "Visitors are not allowed at the dance! You shall be _eee-jected_!" Gohan stared at the man in surprise. Then, his cheeks swelled up as he covered his mouth, desperately hiding a smile as he doubled over in laughter.

"That is… the silliest… voice I've ever heard!" Annabeth gave Gohan a scathing glare, which clearly was trying to say "Shut up!" The man flushed red with rage as he glared at Gohan. He was tall, with a hawkish face. His nostrils flared when he spoke, which made it really hard not to stare up his nose, and his eyes were two different colors—one brown, one blue—like an alley cat's.

Percy figured he was about to toss them out into the snow, but then Thalia stepped forward and did something very weird.

She snapped her fingers. The sound was sharp and loud. Maybe it was just his imagination, but Percy felt a gust of wind ripple out from her hand, across the room. It washed over all of them, making the banners rustle on the walls. Gohan even stopped laughing and looked around in confusion

"Oh, but we're not visitors, sir," Thalia said. "We go to school here. You remember: I'm Thalia. And this is Annabeth, Percy and Gohan. We're in the eighth grade."

The male teacher narrowed his two-colored eyes. Gohan was a little confused at the least. Now they'd probably get punished for lying _and_ thrown into the snow. But the man seemed to be hesitating.

He looked at his colleague. "Ms. Gottschalk, do you know these students?" Despite the danger we were in, Percy had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. A teacher named _Got Chalk_? He had to be kidding. More snickers from Gohan confirmed that he wasn't the only one thinking that.

The woman blinked, like someone had just woken her up from a trance. "I... yes. I believe I do, sir." She frowned at them. "Annabeth. Thalia. What are you doing all away from the gymnasium?" Then, she frowned as she looked at Percy and Gohan.

"Ah, Mr. Jackson. I see you brought your… boyfriend tonight after all." Percy let out a shocked choking noise as he and Gohan stared at each other in disbelief.

"WHAT?" Percy screamed in disbelief. Thalia simply had a big grin on her face, while Gohan was a bit baffled to say the least. Annabeth was livid.

"THALIA!"

Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Jeez, a girl can't have any fun." She snapped her fingers once more, causing both adults to sway yet again with a dazed expression on their faces. Then, almost as quickly, she snapped out of her expression and looked down at them with an annoyed expression.

"Annabeth. Thalia. Percy. Gohan. What are you doing all away from the gymnasium?" Thalia had an amused expression, as if she was trying to say "Happy now?"

Before they could answer, they heard more footsteps, and Grover ran up, breathless. "You made it! You—"

He stopped short when he saw the teachers. "Oh, Mrs. Gottschalk. Dr. Thorn! I, uh—"

"What _is_ it, Mr. Underwood?" said the man. His tone made it clear that he detested Grover. "What do you mean, they made it? These students live here."

Grover swallowed. "Yes, sir. Of course, Dr. Thorn. I just meant, I'm so glad they made... the punch for the dance! The punch is great. And they made it!" Gohan rolled his eyes in annoyance. Seriously, how was Grover one of these demigod searchers?

Dr. Thorn glared at them. Percy decided one of his eyes had to be fake. The brown one? The blue one? He looked like he wanted to pitch them off the castle's highest tower, but then Mrs. Gottschalk said dreamily, "Yes, the punch is excellent. Now run along, all of you. You are not to leave the gymnasium again!"

They didn't wait to be told twice. They left with a lot of "Yes, ma'ams" and "Yes, sirs" and a couple of salutes, just because it seemed like the thing to do.

Grover hustled them down the hall in the direction of the music.

Meanwhile, Percy walked closely to Thalia and asked in a low voice, "How did you do that finger-snap thing?"

"You mean the Mist? Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet?"

An uncomfortable lump formed in his throat. Chiron was their head trainer at camp, but he'd never shown Percy anything like that. Why had he shown Thalia and not him?

"Don't feel bad, Percy. Chiron hasn't taught me that either." Gohan piped up, causing Percy to yelp in surprise. He could have sworn that Gohan had been talking to Grover a second ago. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Of course not. You're an Otherworlder, magic doesn't apply to you." Gohan almost countered with stating that he _had,_ in fact, used magic before, in handling Egyptian talismans with Carter and Sadie, though all he had actually done was throw artifacts that Sadie had enchanted. But he bit his tongue.

Grover hurried them to a door that had GYM written on the glass. Even with Percy's dyslexia, he could read that much.

"That was close!" Grover said. "Thank the gods you all got here!"

Annabeth and Thalia both hugged Grover. Percy gave him a big high five. Gohan gave him a nod.

"Long time no see, Grover." Gohan said. Grover gave him a nervous look. Grover and Gohan had a… complicated relationship to say the least. Not that he had given Grover any actual reason, but Grover hadn't liked Gohan's scent, of all things. Thankfully, it had been eased somewhat when Gohan had helped save Grover from Polyphemus in the Sea of Monsters.

It was good to see Grover after so many months. He'd gotten a little taller and had sprouted a few more whiskers, but otherwise he looked like he always did when he passed for human— a red cap on his curly brown hair to hide his goat horns, baggy jeans and sneakers with fake feet to hide his furry legs and hooves. He was wearing a black T-shirt that that read WESTOVER HALL: GRUNT. Percy wasn't sure whether that was, like, Grover's rank or maybe just the school motto.

"So what's the emergency? Chiron said that you found demigods. And that you had a monster problem." Gohan asked.

Grover nodded took a deep breath. "Yeah, I found two." "Two half-bloods?" Thalia asked, amazed. "Here?" Grover nodded.

"A brother and a sister," he said. "They're ten and twelve. I don't know their parentage, but they're strong. We're running out of time, though. I need help."

"I assume that's in reference to the monsters?"

"Yes." Grover looked nervous. "He suspects. I don't think he's positive yet, but this is the last day of term. I'm sure he won't let them leave campus without finding out. It may be our last chance! Every time I try to get close to them, he's always there, blocking me. I don't know what to do!" Gohan was confused for a moment.

"He? Grover, I thought you said they! As in more than one!" Grover looked at Percy with a worried expression.

"He has a point, Grover. We're kinda in the blank here." Grover nodded.

"Right. I've smelled… others, but whoever they are, they're really good at hiding. They're watching me, I'm sure of it. I'm not sure why they haven't made a move for the demigods yet. It's like they're waiting for something." Annabeth had a grim expression on her face.

"Yeah. Us." The air was silent, save for the echoing of the music from the gym.

Grover looked at Thalia desperately. Percy tried not to feel upset by that. Used to be, Grover looked to Percy for answers, but Thalia had seniority. Not just because her dad was Zeus. Thalia had more experience than any of them with fending off monsters in the real world.

"Right," she said. "These half-bloods are at the dance?"

Grover nodded.

"Then let's dance," Thalia said. "Who's the monster you actually know?"

"Oh," Grover said, and looked around nervously. "You just met him. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn."

"Of course." Gohan sighed.

Weird thing about military schools: the kids go absolutely nuts when there's a special event and they get to be out of uniform. Percy guessed it's because everything's so strict the rest of the time, they feel like they've got to overcompensate or something.

There were black and red balloons all over the gym floor, and guys were kicking them in each others faces, or trying to strangle each other with the crepe-paper streamers taped to the walls. Girls moved around in football huddles, the way they always do, wearing lots of makeup and spaghetti-strap tops and brightly colored pants and shoes that looked like torture devices. Every once in a while they'd surround some poor guy like a pack of piranhas, shrieking and giggling, and when they finally moved on, the guy would have ribbons in his hair and a bunch of lipstick graffiti all over his face. Some of the older guys looked more like Percy—uncomfortable, hanging out at the edges of the gym and trying to hide, like any minute they might have to fight for their lives.

"So, this is a school dance, huh?" Gohan asked with wide eyes as he took it all in.

"Yep. The hierarchy of school for all to see." Percy rolled his eyes.

"Still, it's really cool." Gohan sighed. Percy looked at Gohan with a sympathetic expression. Sometimes, he forgot that Gohan had never known anyone his age back in his world. He hadn't even gone to an actual school, being homeschooled his whole life. So, he had never seen a school dance before.

"There they are." Grover nodded toward a couple of younger kids arguing in the bleachers. "Bianca and Nico di Angelo."

The girl wore a floppy green cap, like she was trying to hide her face. The boy was obviously her little brother. They both had dark silky hair and olive skin, and they used their hands a lot as they talked. The boy was shuffling some kind of trading cards. His sister seemed to be scolding him about something. She kept looking around like she sensed something was wrong.

Annabeth said, "Do they... I mean, have you told them?"

Grover shook his head. "You know how it is. That could put them in more danger. Once they realize who they are, their scent becomes stronger."

He looked at Percy, and he nodded. Percy never really understood what half-bloods "smell" like to monsters and satyrs, but he knew that your scent could get you killed. And the more powerful a demigod you became, the more you smelled like a monster's lunch.

"Just curious, what exactly do I smell like? You said I smell weird." Grover shifted nervously.

"You smell like… really aged Swiss cheese. Something foreign." Thalia snickered.

"Of course…" Gohan groaned.

"So let's grab them and get out of here," Percy said.

Percy started forward, but Annabeth put her hand on his shoulder. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn, had slipped out of a doorway near the bleachers and was standing near the di Angelo siblings. He nodded coldly in our direction. His blue eye seemed to glow.

Judging from his expression, Percy guessed Thorn hadn't been fooled by Thalia's trick with the Mist after all. He suspected who they were. He was just waiting to see why they were here.

"This is too easy. Perfect spot for a trap." Annabeth stated calmly.

"Don't look at the kids," Thalia ordered. "We have to wait for a chance to get them. We need to pretend we're not interested in them. Throw him off the scent, plus whoever he brought with him."

"How?"

"We're three powerful half-bloods, a satyr, and a very powerful Otherworlder. Our presence should confuse him. Mingle. Act natural. Do some dancing. But keep an eye on those kids."

"Why don't I just go over there and punch him? You guys grab the kids while I hold him off."

"Gohan, that's idiotic. We know that he's a monster, but no one else knows that. All hell will break loose, and whoever else is with him can jump us and grab Bianca and Nico. Just follow our lead, Gohan." Annabeth scolded. Gohan sighed in frustration, but nodded.

"Got it." Annabeth sighed as she looked at Thalia.

"So, dancing?" Annabeth asked.

Thalia nodded. She cocked her ear to the music and made a face. "Ugh. Who chose the Disney?"

Grover looked hurt. "I did." Percy chuckled

"I like this song. Under the sea… under the sea…" he hummed.

"Pretty obvious why." Gohan laughed.

"I really, really hate Disney. That is so lame. Can't you play, like, Green Day or something?" "Green who?" Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Enough time for that, let's dance." Thalia interrupted.

"But I can't dance!" "You can if I'm leading," Thalia said. "Come on, goat boy." Grover yelped as Thalia grabbed his hand and led him onto the dance floor. Annabeth smiled.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Nothing. It's just cool to have Thalia back."

"You wouldn't know it from the way she treats me." Gohan grumbled.

"Amen to that." Percy agreed. Annabeth sighed in exasperation.

"Believe me, I am as sick of her behavior as you are. It's complicated."

"What's so complicated about it?"

"Look, she's… it's way too detailed to explain right now. Percy, take a look around. See if anyone else besides Thorn is watching those kids too closely. But be casual about it." Percy nodded.

"Great. Spywork. I should get a tuxedo and a British accent." Annabeth playfully punched his arm.

"Just go." Percy nodded and weaved away from them through the crowd, barely managing to avoid the pack of makeup girls. Annabeth then turned to look at Gohan, a smile forming on her face.

"It really is good to see you again, Gohan." he gave her a small smile.

"Same here. I'm sorry I haven't called you lately, time got away from me." Annabeth shook her dead.

"Don't worry about it." Annabeth paused as she looked over Gohan.

"You've grown."

"You too."

Annabeth had grown taller since last summer, which he found kind of surprising. Though, Gohan had also shot up a few inches as well, and his hair had started to straighten upwards, instead of to the sides as it used to. Annabeth used to wear no jewelry except for her Camp Half-Blood bead necklace, but now she wore little silver earrings shaped like owls—the symbol of her mother, Athena. She pulled off her ski cap, and her long blond hair tumbled down her shoulders. It made her look older, for some reason. And, though Gohan wouldn't say it out loud, even more prettier than before.

"So... what have you been up to lately? Still designing buildings?"

Annabeth's eyes lit up, the way they always did when she talked about architecture. "Oh my gods, Gohan. At my new school, I get to take 3-D design as an elective, and there's this cool computer program..."

She went on to explain how she'd designed this huge monument that she wanted to build at Ground Zero in Manhattan. She talked about structural supports and facades and stuff, and Gohan listened intensely. He knew she wanted to be a super architect when she grew up—she loved math and historical buildings and all that. Gohan wished he could have given his mom thanks for all the years of studying, because he was able to understand what she was talking about. Personally, he wondered what Annabeth would think if she ever saw what most building looked like in his world.

"So, what about you? Any luck… finding a way home?" Gohan noted how her voice strained for a moment on the last part of the question.

"No, not yet. I mostly spent my time at Camp and trained with Chiron. I'm sure I'll find a way back home eventually. Maybe a smart designer and build me a portal to get home." Annabeth flushed red. Gohan noted that she tended to do that a lot whenever she was around him.

"Gohan… I'm an architect, not a scientist." Gohan chuckled.

"I know, I'm just playing with you." She punched him in the arm, though clearly she wasn't actually trying to hurt him.

"Not funny, musclehead." She rolled her eyes.

"So, looks like you'll be seeing me at Camp this summer after all."

Her face got dark. "Well, maybe, if I don't—"

"What's wrong? Are you having trouble at school or something?"

She pursed her lips. "It's not that. It's my dad."

"I see." Gohan knew Annabeth had a rocky relationship with her father. "I thought it was getting better with you two. Is it your stepmom again?"

Annabeth sighed. "He decided to move. Just when I was getting settled in New York, he took this stupid new job researching for a World War I book. In _San Francisco_!'

She said this the same way she might say _Fields of Punishment_ or _Hades's gym shorts_. So, Gohan knew that this had to mean something bad.

"So he wants you to move out there with him?" Gohan asked. He didn't know why that made him feel so angry. He was so fast that he could fly across the entire Earth in less than an hour if he wanted to.

"To the other side of the country," she said miserably. "And half-bloods can't live in San Francisco. He should know that." Gohan was a bit intrigued by that.

"What? Why not?" Annabeth rolled her eyes. Maybe she thought he was kidding. "You know. It's right _there_!'

"Annabeth, I really don't. I don't have a San Francisco in my world." Annabeth blinked in realization.

"Oh, right. I forgot about that. Gods, I'm an idiot."

"No. You're anything but that." For some reason, Annabeth turned beet red at that. Though Gohan was intrigued about whatever was in this San Francisco, he could tell that this was bothering Annabeth. He didn't want that at all. So, he tried to change the subject.

"So... you'll go back to living at camp? I'd love to have someone else to spar with besides Clarisse and Beckendorf."

"It's more serious than that, Gohan. I... I probably should tell you something. Something that I've been thinking about for awhile…"

"What is it?"

"I…"

"Hey!" Thalia called to them, interrupting whatever Annabeth was about to say. She was slow dancing with Grover, who was tripping all over himself, kicking Thalia in the shins, and looking like he wanted to die. Gohan personally thought that it was one of the funniest things he had ever seen.

"I really hate to say this, but dance, you guys!" Thalia ordered. "You look stupid just standing there." Gohan looked nervously at Annabeth. "Well?" Annabeth said. Gohan smiled at her, though mentally he was terrified. He had never danced with a girl before. Well, besides his mom. When he was eight, during the three-year period that they had been training to fight the androids, his mother had forced him to take dancing lessons for several weeks. At the time, he hadn't understood why. His mother had simply said that Gohan wasn't going to look like an idiot in front of her future daughter-in-law.

" _Well, time to see if those lessons paid off."_ Gohan thought. He held his hands out to Annabeth and smiled.

"Will you dance with me, Annabeth?" A smile appeared on her face.

"Yes, I will." She placed her hands into his. Frankly, Gohan felt more terrified now that he had ever been in most of his fights. His heart felt like a rapid drumbeat, ringing in his ears. Just then, a new song began on the speakers.

" _Tale as old as time…  
True as it can be  
Barely even friends  
Then somebody bends  
Unexpectedly…_

So they walked onto the dance floor, and he took a deep breath as he looked at Annabeth. Remembering his former lessons, he put one hand on Annabeth's hip, and she clasped his other hand like she was about to judo throw him.

"I'm not going to bite," she said softly. He gave her a nervous smile. Her hand felt soft, yet warm and firm. Reflexively, he swallowed.

 _Just a little change  
Small to say the least  
Both a little scared  
Neither one prepared, beauty and the beast…_

Annabeth was the one to begin, leading Gohan in a slow spin. He followed her lead as they twirled on the dance floor, somehow avoiding all the other kids.

 _Ever just the same  
Ever a surprise  
Ever as before  
Ever just as sure  
As the sun will rise_

 _Certain as the sun  
Rising in the east  
Tale as old as time  
Song as old as rhyme  
Beauty and the beast…_

Gohan wasn't sure if he was breathing as he danced with Annabeth. It was almost identical to a battle: reading his partner's moves and countering. Well, in this case, matching her moves. Which they did flawlessly.

 _Ever just the same  
Ever a surprise  
Ever as before  
Ever just as sure  
As the sun will rise…_

"You're pretty good at this." She whispered.

"I'm a fast learner. And you're pretty good yourself." Gohan paused as he pulled his hand to the back on her neck and dipped. They lingered there for a moment before he pulled her back up. He then gripped her waist as he lifted her, hearing a sharp intake of breath as he spun her around for several seconds before lowering her back to the floor.

"You'll find that I'm full of surprises…"

 _Tale as old as time  
Tune as old as song  
Bittersweet and strange  
Finding you can change  
Learning you were wrong…_

 _Certain as the sun  
Rising in the east  
Tale as old as time  
Song as old as rhyme  
Beauty and the beast_

To Gohan's surprise, Annabeth leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. The thumping on his chest grew even louder, drowning out the music. Drowning out everything but her.

 _Tale as old as time  
Song as old as rhyme  
Beauty and the beast  
Tale as old as time  
Song as old as rhyme  
Beauty and the beast…_

Gohan wasn't sure how long he danced with her. It was probably a few minutes, but it felt like years, if not an eternity. They twirled, wrapped in each other's arms. For a brief moment, they forgot why they were there. They forgot about Percy, Grover, Thorn, the Di Angelos, the gods… everything. Each only thought about the other.

He didn't realize the song had ended until the next one had begun. He opened his eyes to see Annabeth mere inches from his face. He could see everything. Her piercing grey eyes, every freckle on her face, her lips… Without realizing it, his hand came up and brushed her cheek, lifting her face up to meet his.

"Gohan…" she whispered, her lips inches from his. The beating in his chest reached a crescendo.

Suddenly she froze. "They're gone." The moment shattered, and all the sounds suddenly rushed back in at once. "What?"

He followed her gaze. The bleachers. The two half-blood kids, Bianca and Nico, were no longer there. The door next to the bleachers was wide open. Dr. Thorn was nowhere in sight.

"We have to get Thalia and Grover! And where the gods is Percy?" Annabeth looked around frantically. "Oh, where'd they dance off to? Come on!"

She ran through the crowd. Gohan was about to follow when a mob of girls got in his way.

"Hi there. Where'd you come from?" one of them, a blonde, asked.

"So muscular!" Gohan yelped in surprise as another one gripped his arm.

"And sexy hair!"

"Oh, come on!" Gohan maneuvered around them to avoid getting the ribbon-and-lipstick treatment, and by the time he was free, Annabeth had disappeared. He turned a full circle, looking for her or Thalia or Percy and Grover.

Then, he felt someone grip his arm. He yelped in surprise and whirled.

"Whoa! Watch it!" Annabeth raised her hands.

"Sorry. You scared me." she punched him.

"Seriously? You know, for someone with super speed and agility, I didn't think it would be that hard for you to stay with me." Gohan shrugged.

"The crowd's a little tricky." Annabeth rolled her eyes. For a brief second, Gohan could have sworn that they had a pink sparkle. But when he looked again, it was the same piercing look as usual.

"If you mean being felt up by a group of cute girls who are fawning over every bit of you, then okay." Gohan groaned in exasperation. Great. Whatever progress he had made with Annabeth during their dance had very likely just gone up in flames. Well, at least he thought so. Girls were so maddening. They could go from happy to angry in a single instant, just because you said the wrong thing. Which, apparently, was _everything_. He shook his head. Couldn't get distracted now. Those kids were depending on him.

"So, did you see where they went?" she nodded.

"Yeah. Thorn rushed them out that side door." She pointed at the far left of the gym, where a metal door was hanging ajar.

"Thalia and Grover are going to cut him off, and Percy's waiting for us inside. We're going to surround him and rush him all at once." Gohan nodded.

"Okay, come on." He followed her as they weaved through the crowd, until they reached the door.

"Ready? Hopefully, Percy didn't jump the gun. Probably not." Gohan nodded.

"True." His right hand glowed, itching for a fight.

"Hello!" Gohan almost jumped out of his skin, as he and Annabeth turned to see another cute girl, dressed in a black strapless dress. She had long sandy hair, and a large smile on her face. He wasn't looking at her, though. His attention was on something more appealing. Her plate of delicious brownies. His mouth watered. He hadn't had anything to eat in hours, and his stomach decided at that exact second to rumble.

"Why am I not surprised?" Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Hi! Free brownie?" the girl asked as she held up the tray. Gohan snatched one of the brownies and inhaled it in one gulp, moaning in delight at the delicious sensation that filled his mouth. However, if Gohan hadn't been so focused on the brownie, he would have noticed Annabeth and the girl smile at each other.

"Tell you what. Because you're so cute, I'll let you have the whole tray. I have plenty more." Gohan almost squealed with delight as he took the tray from the girl and scarfed down the rest of the brownies.

"These are amazing!" the girl beamed.

"Thanks! It's a… special recipe. It's gonna rock your world." The girl winked before whirling and vanishing into the crowd.

"Mmmmm! Those were tasty." Gohan grinned as he licked his fingers.

"Your eating manners are disgusting. Shall we?" Annabeth gestured at the door. Gohan then snapped into battle mode.

"Alright, let's do this." He clenched his hands as he looked at Annabeth, who nodded. Then, they burst through the door.

"Come on!" Gohan looked around wildly, but was baffled by what he saw. Which was… nothing. It was an empty hallway, with nothing but more glass cases on each side. Gohan was baffled, to say the least.

"What in Olympus is going on?" Gohan blinked in confusion as he stumbled, looking down at his hands. They went from clear to blurry, like a bad movie.

"You okay?" He turned to see Annabeth standing inches from his face, her eyes twinkling in delight.

"What's wrong? You don't look so good." Gohan groaned as his stomach exploded in pain. Then, Annabeth's fist slammed into his stomach, sending him flying across the hallway. Gohan's head shot up in disbelief. Annabeth smiled as she stood over him, her pink eyes twinkling. Her whole body seemed to be shimmering.

"Y-You're not Annabeth." Gohan rasped. She smiled as she straddled herself on his stomach, lowering her face until she was inches from his. She smiled again, revealing seemingly perfect teeth. Everything about her seemed perfect.

"No, I'm even better than her. I'm everything you want and more…"

"W-what did yo… ou do to me?" she giggled.

"Don't worry, it won't last long. We just needed to dose you in order to lower your senses enough so I can do my… specialty. We're going to have some fun, you and I." she smiled.

"D-don't." Gohan gasped as a new wave of nausea overtook him. For some reason, this made her laugh even more.

"Trust me, I'll be way better than she would have been." Then, she leaned in and kissed him, which was immediately followed by a massive pink flash.


	6. Twists and Turns

**Hi everyone! Sorry that** **'s been so long since my last chapter, but it's been really hectic lately.** **I** **'m trying to finish The Magic Awakens,** **and work on my own novel. But, I** **'** **m happy to release the latest chapter. I** **'** **m super excited for this one.**

 **10 minutes earlier** **…**

"Look, she's… it's way too detailed to explain right now. Percy, take a look around. See if anyone else besides Thorn is watching those kids too closely. But be casual about it." Percy nodded.

"Great. Spywork. I should get a tuxedo and a British accent." Annabeth playfully punched his arm.

"Just go." Percy nodded and weaved away from them through the crowd, barely managing to avoid the pack of makeup girls.

He sighed. He knew the real reason Annabeth was telling him to look around instead of Gohan, despite the fact that Gohan had way better vision and hearing than him. She just wanted to be alone with him. Percy couldn't help but snarl. He saw the way that they looked at each other. He had seen that look with plenty of love-dovey couples at school. Through, he supposed Gohan and Annabeth weren't most people. Heck, he could barely explain the feelings _he_ was experiencing at the moment. Being a teenager _suuuuucked_.

"Need a drink?" Percy almost jumped out of his skin, turning to find himself looking at a pretty sandy-haired girl in a black strapless dress. She flashed him a smile. Percy was stunned for a second.

"Are you… talking to me?" he asked with a baffled expression. Percy was shocked, to say the least. Most girls just ignored him or acted like he was invisible. Not the ones at Camp, mind you. Well, besides Clarisse, the Ares campers and Aphrodite campers. But pretty much all the girls at his various schools acted like that.

"Ummm… yeah. I'm pretty sure. Unless you're invisible and I'm talking to the guy behind you." She reached out and tapped him on the chest.

"Nope, you're there. So, I'm talking to you." She giggled at her own joke, and Percy couldn't help but crack a smile.

"You want some punch? It's cherry." She held up a blue party cup.

"Sure. Thanks." Percy took the cup from her and took a sip. It was one of the sweetest things he ever tasted, literally.

"Thanks. Rough night, Percy?" Percy jolted in surprise.

"How do you know my name?" the girl looked baffled.

"Ummm… what? Percy, it's me. Abigial? Abigial Straton? You know, from Math and History? And Basic? I've known you since the start of school?" Percy mentally slapped himself. Stupid, stupid. That trick Thalia had done with the mist to make the teachers think that they were students. Apparently, it worked on everyone else here too.

"Oh… right! Sorry, long day, like you said." He took another sip.

"This is good!" she smiled.

"Thanks. Made it myself. My own… special recipe." Just then, the music faded out, allowing the next one to begin, blaring over the speakers. It was a very familiar one. One that Percy had heard ever since he was little.

" _Tale as old as time…  
True as it can be  
Barely even friends  
Then somebody bends  
Unexpectedly…"_

Abigail perked up, her face beaming. "I love this song!"

"Yeah, it's a pretty good…" Percy trailed off when he saw one of the couples twirling on the floor. Gohan and Annabeth… who looked way more focused on each other instead of on the Di Angelo siblings.

"Don't they look adorable? My money's on them for king and queen this year." Abigail remarked. Percy simply grumbled as he took another large gulp from his cup. The delicious taste in his mouth barely distracted him from the frustration he felt. Then, just when he thought that the gnawing feel of jealousy in his stomach couldn't get any worse, Abigail proved him wrong.

"You two are super close, right? I always see you two hanging out together. Heck, I kinda thought you guys were gay at first. Good thing Annabeth proved me wrong." Percy blushed with embarrassment. If he heard one more comment like that…

"So, is he like, your bodyguard or something?" Percy frowned.

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, he kinds does everything. You know, he does all the work? Gohan's always the one to save the day, getting you out of trouble. You probably would have been suspended like ten times over if he didn't have your back." Percy pressed his lips together in frustration, his fists clenching. Abigail let out a low whistle.

"Man, you look like a lobster. You really need to relax. Plus, you're a pretty good-looking guy, if I do say so." Percy felt a twinge of excitement buzz through him as he smiled at the girl. Was this really happening?

"Do you wanna…" she began to ask. Then, just to double-check, he turned check on the Di Angelo siblings… only to see that the siblings had vanished.

About fifty feet away, lying on the gym floor, was a floppy green cap just like the one Bianca di Angelo had been wearing. Near it were a few scattered trading cards. Then, Percy caught a glimpse of Dr. Thorn. He was hurrying out a door at the opposite end of the gym, steering the di Angelo kids by the scruffs of their necks, like kittens.

"Oh crap!" he took off, leaving the girl with a surprised look. Then, a smile appeared on her face.

"Well… this gonna be fun." She giggled.

Percy looked around desperately, but couldn't see any sign of Gohan or Annabeth. Thalia and Grover had vanished as well. Then, he paused.

He remembered what Abigail had said to him.

" _Gohan's always the one to save the day, getting you out of trouble."_ As frustrating as it was to admit, she had made a point without even realizing it. Percy tried to shut the words out, but it lingered nonetheless. It seemed like Gohan was always the guy on top, blowing away monsters without breaking a sweat. He fainly reminded Percy of the stories he had heard about Hercules. Always the hero. The guy who had beaten Ares. Saved them from Polyphemus. The guy all the girls threw themselves at.

Then, Percy remembered what Thalia had said to him in the entry hall, looking at him all puzzled when she asked about the finger-snap trick: _Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet_? He thought about the way Grover had turned to her, expecting her to save the day.

Not that Percy resented Thalia or Gohan. She was cool, and he still considered Gohan his best and closest friend. It wasn't her fault her dad was Zeus, or that Gohan was part alien and was basically Superman.

Still, Percy didn't need to run after them to solve every problem. Besides, there wasn't time. The di Angelos were in danger. They might be long gone by the time he found his friends. He knew monsters. He could handle this himself. After all, he was the son of Poseidon.

Percy took Riptide out of his pocket and ran after Dr. Thorn.

The door led into a dark hallway. Percy heard sounds of scuffling up ahead, then a painful grunt. He uncapped Riptide.

The pen grew in his hands until he held a bronze Greek sword about three feet long with a leather-bound grip. The blade glowed faintly, casting a golden light on the rows of lockers. Percy frowned as he looked around. Nothing. Then, the world went fuzzy as he stumbled. Percy took several breaths as he leaned against the locker. After a minute, everything went back into focus. Percy breathed. Nerves, probably.

Percy jogged down the corridor, but when he got to the other end, no one was there. He opened a door and found myself back in the main entry hall. He was completely turned around. He didn't see Dr. Thorn anywhere, but there on the opposite side of the room were the di Angelo kids. They stood frozen in horror, staring right at him.

He advanced slowly, lowering the tip of his sword. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

They didn't answer. Their eyes were full of fear. What was wrong with them? Where was Dr. Thorn? Maybe he'd sensed the presence of Riptide and retreated. Monsters hated celestial bronze weapons.

"My name's Percy," he said, trying to keep his voice level. "I'm going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe."

Bianca's eyes widened. Her fists clenched. Only too late did she realize what her look meant. She wasn't afraid of him. She was trying to warn him.

He whirled around and something went _WHI1ISH_! Pain exploded in his shoulder. A force slammed into him, sending him flying backward and slammed him to the wall. Percy blinked stars out of his eyes, and was stunned to see Abigail standing over him with an amused grin. Which was a bit disturbing considering her attire.

"Percy, you don't look so good. Looks like you need a little pick-me-up!" She grabbed his shirt and then, to his absolute disbelief, lifted him off the ground like like a rag doll and hurled him across the hallway. He slammed into the opposite locker with a loud crunch and fell to the ground. The breath rushed from Percy as he struggled to get up, still clutching Riptide. Abigail let out a chuckle of laughter.

"You're still conscious! Not bad! You're a resistant one, Perseus Jackson!" Percy groaned in exasperation. This girl was not just another student with altered memories. She had to be a monster. Of course. The ONE hot girl who flirted with him just HAD to be a monster out for his blood. Percy slashed with his sword but only met air. The girl had leaped back at surprising speed, her free hair whipping across her neck.

"So, what are you? A medusa? Snake-woman?" she flashed him a smile. She held her arms up, allowing a bright yellow glow to surround her. The air seemed to heat up exponentially, making it feel like a sauna.

"I'm something new entirely. As you'll soon find out."

"Seriously? Who are you people?" Bianca blurted out. They both ignored her, more focused on each other.

"Doesn't matter what you are. One touch of this, you're dust." She grinned.

"Try it. I dare you." Then, a bright gold bow appeared in her hands, an arrow already notched. Before Percy could move, she fired, and the arrow slammed into the blade, the impact so powerful that it sent Riptide flying out of Percy's hand. Before he could move, she had another arrow nocked.

"Don't even try it."

Then, he groaned as she suddenly turned fuzzy, pressing his hand to his head. His head throbbed like a drum. But why? She had barely touched him!

"Feeling a little slower, are you? That's what happens when you drink poison." Percy froze as he processed her words.

"Yeah. Tasty, wasn't it? I told you it was my special recipe." Percy groaned mentally. He'd felt something like this before. Poison. The punch. Oh gods… he was a complete idiot. Annabeth would probably slap him for his complete stupidity.

"Don't worry, you're not gonna die. Just going to disorient you long enough to finish our job here." Percy shook his head. He had to beat her.

Then, a cold laugh echoed through the hall.

"Yes, Perseus _Jackson"_ Dr. Thorn said. His accent mangled the _J_ in Percy's last name. "We know who you are."

Percy forced himself to concentrate. He would _not_ pass out.

A dark silhouette now moved toward them. Dr. Thorn stepped into the dim light. He still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. He had perfect white teeth and his brown/blue eyes reflected the light of Percy's sword.

"Thank you for coming out of the gym," he said. "I hate middle school dances."

"I don't know, it seemed pretty fun to me." Abigail shrugged. Thorn glowered at her.

"Silence! You've done your part, now leave us, you vile abomination. Run back to your master." She sniffed at him.

"I don't answer to you, Thorn. You just said so yourself." She spat out his name as though she was eating something vile.

Percy stumbled to his feet as he gripped his feet and swung, but Abigail simply bounced his blade away with the base of her bow.

 _WHIIIISH! A_ second projectile shot from somewhere behind Dr. Thorn. He didn't appear to move. It was as if someone invisible were standing behind him, throwing knives.

Then, Bianca yelped. The second thorn impaled itself in the stone wall, half an inch from her face.

"All three of you will come with us," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw. In your state, Jackson, I doubt you'd survive it."

"You don't have to be so grim, you know. We do need them alive, after all." Abigail paused.

"But… I'm sure you guys can survive arrows in your kneecaps." Bianca let out a horrified gasp as she clutched Nico's hand.

Percy didn't know what kind of monsters Dr. Thorn or Abigail were, but they were both fast. Maybe she was an Apollo demigod. Would explain the archery.

Maybe Percy could defend himself if he could get his shield activated. All that it would take was a touch of his wrist-watch. But, defending the di Angelo kids was another matter entirely. He was still poisoned. Slow, groggy. Not to mention it was still two versus one. He needed help, and there was only one way he could think to get it.

Percy closed his eyes.

"What are you doing, Jackson?" hissed Dr. Thorn. "Keep moving!"

He opened his eyes and kept shuffling forward. "It's my stomach," he lied, trying to sound miserable, which wasn't hard. "It burns." Abigail snorted.

"Wow, you are such a pussy. I was expecting someone with your reputation to be a bit more… badass." Percy glared at her, hamming up the act.

"You try it when you've been poisoned!" Thorn snorted, clearly annoyed.

"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!"

Thorn herded them outside, and Percy tried to concentrate. He pictured Grover's face, focusing on my feelings of fear and danger. Last summer, Grover had created an empathy link between them, using it to send Percy visions in his dreams to let him know when he was in trouble. Hopefully, that connection wasn't one-sided.

 _Hey, Grover_! Percy thought. _Thorn's kidnapping us! He's a poisonous spike-throwing maniac! Help_! _Get everyone over here!_

Thorn marched them into the woods taking a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights.

"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."

"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

"Don't talk to my sister that way.'" Nico said. His voice quivered, but Percy was impressed that he had the guts to say anything at all. Abigail giggled.

"Oooh, card boy's got a little fire in him! I'm surprised. Here I thought you were just a meek, timid, pathetic f-"

"Shut your mouth!" Bianca snapped, her face flushing red.

Dr. Thorn made a growling sound that definitely wasn't human. It made the hairs stand up on the back of Percy's neck, but he forced myself to keep walking and pretend he was being a good little captive. Meanwhile, Percy projected his thoughts like crazy—anything to get Grover's attention: _Grover! Apples! Tin cans! Get your furry goat behind out here and bring our heavily armed friends_!

"Halt," Thorn said.

The woods had opened up, revealing that they'd reached a cliff overlooking the sea. Percy could sense the sea frothing, hundreds of feet below. He could hear the waves churning and Percy could smell the cold salty froth. But all he could see was mist and darkness. But maybe he could make the jump…

"Don't even think about it." Abigail spoke, as if she was confirming what Percy was thinking about.

Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon. _Jump!_ Thereis the sea. Save yourself."

"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered. "I'll explain later," Percy said. "You do have a plan, right?" "I sure hope so."

Dr. Thorn pushed them toward the edge. Percy stumbled, and Bianca caught him. "Thanks," he murmured. "What _are_ they?" she whispered. "How do we fight them?" "I... I'm working on it."

"I'm scared," Nico mumbled. He was fiddling with something—a little metal toy soldier of some kind.

"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said. "Face me!"

Thorn's two-tone eyes glittered hungrily. He pulled something from under his coat. A phone. He pressed the side button and said, "The package—it is ready to deliver."

There was a garbled reply, and Percy realized Thorn was in walkie-talkie mode. This seemed way too modern and creepy—a monster using a mobile phone.

A flicker of movement behind him, and another missile whistled so close to him that it nicked his ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn—like a catapult, but more flexible... almost like a tail.

"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you would already be dead."

"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I..." Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other."

"Aww," Dr. Thorn said. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting our employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."

"Luke," Percy said. "You guys work for Luke, don't you? Or is it his partner?"

Dr. Thorn's mouth twisted with distaste when he said the name of Percy's old enemy—a former friend who'd tried to kill him several times. Abigail snorted.

"You have no idea what is happening, Perseus Jackson. You just have no idea how far out of your league you are. But, you will soon enough." Thorn rolled his eyes.

"I will let the General enlighten you, boy. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."

"The General?" Percy asked. "I mean... who's the General?"

Thorn looked toward the horizon. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."

Percy turned and saw a light in the distance, a searchlight over the sea. Then he heard the chopping of helicopter blades getting louder and closer.

"Where are you taking us?" Nico said.

"You'll find out soon enough." Abigial answered, pressed her lips together in annoyance as a bright light pulsed around her. Even moer curious, the snow seemed to melt around her, falling to the ground as little droplets.

"You should be honored, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls."

"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and—"

"Now, now," Dr. Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well... there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."

"The Great what?" Percy asked. Anything to keep him talking.

"The stirring of monsters." Dr. Thorn smiled evilly. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!" Abigial grinned.

"That's just the first step, of course. Our master has so much more planned. I mean, what's one world compared to… everything."

"Okay," Bianca whispered to Percy. "They're completely nuts."

"We have to jump off the cliff," he told her quietly. "Into the sea."

"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too."

Percy never got the chance to argue with her, because just then an invisible force slammed into him.

Looking back on it, Annabeth's move was brilliant. Wearing her cap of invisibility, she plowed into the di Angelos and Percy, knocking us to the ground. For a split second, Dr. Thorn was taken by surprise, so his first volley of missiles zipped harmlessly over their heads. This gave Thalia and Grover a chance to advance from behind—Thalia wielding her magic shield, Aegis.

If you've never seen Thalia run into battle, you have never been truly frightened. She uses a huge spear that expands from this collapsible Mace canister she carries in her pocket, but that's not the scary part. Her shield is modeled after one her dad Zeus uses—also called Aegis—a gift from Athena. The shield has the head of the gorgon Medusa molded into the bronze, and even though it won't turn you to stone, it's so horrible, most people will panic and run at the sight of it.

Even Dr. Thorn winced and growled when he saw it. Abigail let out a hiss, though she didn't back away.

Thalia moved in with her spear. "For Zeus!" But, she was forced to retreat as a pair of golden arrows whizzed past her head. She whirled to face Abigial, who had conjured up a shimmering bow and already had three more arrows notched.

"I've been looking forward to this." She grinned. Then, she fired. Thalia brought her shield up just in time, saving herself. The arrows smashed into her shield with a loud TWANG, embedding themselves in the metal. Thalia raced forward, keeping her shield held high. Abigail fired off two more arrows, both of which bounced off the shield. Thalia then slammed the shield into her face, causing her to stumble back and drop her bow. But, she recovered quick enough to grab Aegis and grapple with Thalia for it. She hissed as the aura around her intensified, causing the air around them to heat up significantly, to the point that the snow on the ground melted around them.

"What are you?" Thalia demanded. Abigail smiled.

"Something new. We're stronger than you. We're smarter than you. We're better than you." Then, with a surprising display of strength, she flipped the shield, slamming it into Thalia's face with a loud crunch. The shield fell away as Thalia stumbled back in surprise, blood gushing from her nose. Abigail dashed forward as her knives appeared in her knives, but were caught by Thalia's spear in just the nick of time.

"Not bad." Abigail hissed. Thalia smirked.

"Try this, bitch." Then, a blast electricity shot up the spear, blasting away the other girl with a shocked scream.

Meanwhile, Annabeth charged at Dr. Thorn, stabbing at his feet with her knife. He snarled as he swung at her, barely missing her. His hand changed into an orange paw, with enormous claws that sparked as he slashed. Percy charged as he swung, causing Thorn to retreat. Annabeth glared at Percy.

"What were you thinking? Why didn't you get us?" she hissed.

"I was trying to save them!" he gestured at Nico and Bianca. Annabeth scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Where's Gohan?" she demanded. Percy felt that angry jilt again. But at the same time, confusion.

"He's not with you? You guys seemed pretty close when you were dancing together." Annabeth gave him an expression that display a mixture of frustration, surprise, and anger.

"We were doing surveillance! And he left as soon as the song was over, I sent him to get you!"

"Annabeth… I didn't see him anywhere."

Nearby, a cloaked figure watched the fight, but didn't interfere for either side. So far, things were proceeding perfectly as he planned. This was why he was the team leader. He wasn't rash or arrogant or pompous. He planned and executed. He delivered results. His gaze focused on Annabeth, as the wind whipped her hair across her face. The daughter of Athena. Head counselor of Cabin Six. He fingered the pommel of his sword, rolling the owl's head around his hand as his grey eyes twinkled. He could do it right now, while she was distracted. Unseath his sword, ambush her from behind, and cut her down. So quick, so easy, and efficient. All it would take was one swing. Through the neck, or the torso, and Annabeth Chase's story would be over. They didn't need her, after all. But, something stopped him. No. That would be too easy. She was a daughter of Athena, after all. She deserved a more… worthy end. It was all a rather large game of chess. And in chess, one must always be patient. A smile drew across his face. The real show was about to begin.

The sound of the helicopter was getting louder behind Percy, but he didn't dare look. The wind rushed over them, a breeze that made their clothes flap in the wind. However, suddenly, a new sound began to fill the air. Percy frowned as the sound grew louder. It sounded almost like… music? Someone singing? Whatever it was, Annabeth's expression turned to one of horror. Then, Percy was blinded by a bright pink light that illuminated the entire area, causing all dueling parties to stop and cover their eyes. When the light faded, Percy opened his eyes… to see the most beautiful girl he had ever seen standing in front of him. She let out a loud giggle as she shimmered. That was the thing about her. Every part of her seemed to be… permanent. Her hair seemed to change through every color, like a neon sign.

"About time you showed up, Amortentia! Were you distracted by your reflection again? Or putting the moves on another boy?" Abigail snapped. Amortentia rolled her eyes before turning to Percy and Annabeth.

"Hi there." She smiled. Just the sound of her voice made Percy feel strangely lightheaded. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard. Like he had drunken a bunch of soda. She beamed at him, flashing a set of perfect, dazzling white teeth. Nico shuddered, causing the girl to frown.

"You're not attracted to me? That's… strange."

"Who in Olympus are you? And why do you look like me?" Annabeth demanded, causing the girl to look at her. Percy frowned as he looked at Annabeth, and back at the girl. Now that he looked more closely, the girl did seem to resemble Annabeth. The same hair, face, smile. Only… it seemed to gleam on her. Like a magnet, drawing him in.

"Look like you? I just take the form of what men want. I am what they want to be. Only, better. I don't have any of your… imperfections, as you can tell. And don't even get me started on that fashion nightmare over there." Annabeth sputtered as her face turned red with rage.

"Imperfections? IMPERFECTIONS? Say that again!" Annabeth roared, adding some extremely colorful curse words. Surprisingly, Throne was equally angry.

"You! Do not interfere, you… abomination!" the girl scoffed.

"Interfere? Seems that I'm bailing you out." Thalia let out a roar of laughter.

"And what are you gonna do? Are you gonna break a nail?" The girl grinned.

"Oh, poor, brainless Percy. Why should I fight you… when he can do it for me?" As if by cue, she snapped her fingers. For one second, there was silence. Then, a distant boom. A bright blue light shot from the sky and landed on the ground, sending up a plume of dust, snow and wind. Percy and Annabeth coughed as they tried to blow the dust away from them. The dust soon faded away to reveal…

"Gohan! There you are." Annabeth brightened, letting out a deep sigh of relief. However, Gohan didn't answer. Gohan still stood in the same pose he had landed in, his head bent and his fist buried in the ground. Percy grabbed Annabeth's arm, stopping her cold as a wave of fear washed through him.

"Wait." He said, not sure why he said it. Annabeth froze as she looked at Percy, then Gohan.

"Gohan?" Then, Gohan looked up as he stood, and both Percy and Annabeth gasped as a flicker of lightning danced across Gohan's body. His eyes were pink, a bright glow that completely covered them. He looked at Percy and Annabeth, but didn't show any recognition. Amortentia smiled.

"He's mine now." She snapped her fingers, causing Gohan to tighten his fists. Then, he raised his right hand, pointing it right at Percy and Annabeth." Percy swallowed nervously, slowly reaching for his wrist.

"Gohan! It's us! Your friends!" Annabeth pleaded.

"Snap out of it!" Percy added. But, Gohan simply cocked his head as another wave of black lightning danced across his body. A blue ball of energy formed in his outstretched hand, pointed at two of his closest friends.

"What is happening right now?" Bianca pleaded from behind Percy. He gritted his teeth as he tapped his wrist, causing his shield to appear in his hands.

"Gohan! Please! This isn't you! Don't let them control you like this!" Annabeth pleaded. The ball was now the size of a large pumpkin, and crackled ominously as the wind intensified.

"So, tell me Perseus Jackson! What will you do now? Will you kill your own friend to protect the rest of these runts?" Percy pleaded silently, but accepted the terrifying truth in front of him. He had to fight his best friend.

"I'm sorry, buddy." Percy whispered

Then, Gohan fired.


	7. Friend vs Friend

Once again, Percy was saved by someone tackling him. This time, it was Thalia, who had used her staff to slam him, Annabeth, and the Di Angelo siblings to the ground, as Gohan's blast flew over their heads. A second later, they were nearly deafened by the explosion, sending a typhoon of wind over their heads. Percy looked behind him… and the spike of fear dug even deeper. A long stretch of the forest behind them was completely gone, blasted away, leaving a smoking crater.

"Oh god!" Bianca whimpered. Percy agreed with her, though for different reasons. He had seen exactly what Gohan was capable against his enemies. And, now that pure, raw power… was focused right at him. Horrorstruck, he looked back into the eyes of one his best friends. All of the warmth, humor, and innocence was gone. Now all blotted out by the bright pink glow. Those same eyes narrowed into slits as Gohan raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. A second later, a bright blue glow surrounded his hand, sparking with power. He shot forward, raising his fist high.

"MOVE, YOU IDIOT!" Thalia shoved Percy aside as she raised her spear and thrust it at Gohan, grazing his face. He grunted in surprise, spiraling back out of the way. Thalia grunted as she rolled back and thrust again at Gohan, who ducked beneath her next swing.

"Oh. Perrrrrrcyyyyyy!" Percy swallowed as, suddenly, his whole world slowed. His gaze turned towards Amortentia, who smiled at him and waved. His whole body suddenly felt like lead. She was so… intoxicating.

"Ummmmm." She waved her hand in front of her face and winked.

"Can you do me a favor, Percy? One itti bitti favor? Pllllleeeassseeee? I need you to stab that Athena girl with that big sword of yours! If you do, I'll give you a kiss!" a goofy grin came across Percy's face. He raised his hands, which only now he realized were clutching Riptide.

"Really?" Then, before he could say anything else, the lower half of his body exploded in pain. The warm, fuzzy feeling completely evaporated as Percy fell to his knees, Riptide clattering to the ground next to him. Then, Annabeth appeared in his vision.

"I'm sorry, Percy! I had to! Pain is the only way to break the influence of love magic!" Percy groaned as he realized that Annabeth had kicked him in the groin.

"And… you had to kick me there?"

"Well, I needed to create lingering pain."

Meanwhile, tired of the cat and mouse game, Gohan grabbed the spear, right beneath the spearhead. Thalia smirked.

"I was hoping you'd do that." Then, a blast of lightning came down from the sky and hit her spear like a lightning rod, sending the full electrical force right into Gohan! He let out a grunt of surprise as his body seemed to shake like a massage chair. His hair even shot up in spikes. Percy was horrified. He had a feeling that Thalia was enjoying this WAY more than she should be.

"You're killing him!" Annabeth cried as a smile formed on Thalia's face.

"Oh please, he's taken worse. I'm just… putting him… down for a nap!" But, Gohan was not passing out. Rather, a look of determination came across his face as he gripped the spear… and pulled. Hard. Thalia screamed as she flew forward and right into Gohan's outstretched arm, smacking her clean in the face and knocking her onto the ground. Thalia grunted as she locked her arms in front of her face and rolled, kicking out and hitting Gohan's left knee. A pair of bright red beams shot out of his eyes, which narrowly missed Thalia's head. Gohan grunted as he thrust his fist forward at Thalia. For a brief second, nothing happened. Then, Thalia let out a cry of surprise as a large burst of wind blew her off her feet, sending her flying through the air until she crashed into a tree, slumping to the ground.

"Gohan! STOP!" Annabeth screamed, before grabbing a rock and hurling at him, hitting him in the side. He glared at her, before reaching out and grabbing a nearby tree, ripping the entire thing out of the ground.

"WHAT THE?" Bianca gaped.

"COOL!" Nico gaped with wide eyes.

"Get down!" Annabeth pushed the di Angelos flat into the snow at the last second. Not a moment too soon, as the tree flew over their heads.

"You people are crazy!" Bianca grabbed Nico and took off running away from Annabeth, but stopped cold when she found herself facing the tip of a notched arrow.

"And where do you think you're going?" Abigail smiled

"NO!" Percy full on tackled Gohan, leaping onto his back and wrapping his arms around his throat, ignoring the throbbing pain in his lower regions. Not that Gohan budged even an inch.

"Come on, Gohan! Snap out of it!" Percy groaned as another wave of pain washed over him, ignoring the roaring laughter coming from their observing foes.

"You can't pay for this kind of entertainment!" Amortentia giggled. Percy gritted his teeth, ignoring both them and the rolling waves of nausea as he held onto his best friend for dear life. Gohan grunted as he reached back and grabbed Percy in the middle of his back, by the shirt. Then, he ripped Percy off his back and hurled him like a rock, flying straight towards a nearby tree.

"Percy!" Thankfully, Percy had good reflexes, and he remembered his shield. He hit his wristwatch, and metal plating spiraled out into a thick bronze shield. Percy twisted in the air, just in time as he slammed into the tree with a massive CRACK. Thankfully, his shield had taken the brunt of the impact. Though, Percy's shield arm still radiated with pain as he fell to the ground.

"Urrgh…" Percy groaned as he pushed himself to his feet.

"LOOK OUT!" Annabeth's voice screamed. By pure instinct, Percy rolled just as Gohan's fist slammed into the ground where Percy's head had been seconds before, causing it to shake as Percy leaped to his feet and raised his shield, catching Gohan's outstretched right hook, slamming into the shield, causing a loud gong-like noise, sending Percy flying through the air, crash-landing right on the edge of the cliff. Now, his entire arm had gone numb. Percy let out a moan as he looked down at his shield. His beautiful shield, a gift from his brother, was badly damaged. The entire center was badly smashed in, as well as several cracks radiating out. There was no way it was going to survive a second attack from Gohan.

"Come on dude, you're better than this!" Percy pleaded desperately as Gohan looked over at him. Silently. He raised his hand, creating another bright yellow ball. Then, a tree branch bounced off the back of his head. It didn't harm him at all, but it was enough to distract him, making him look away from Percy

"Sorry in advance for this!

Grover sprang forward. He put his reed pipes to his lips and began to play—a frantic jig that sounded like something pirates would dance to. Grass broke through the snow. Within seconds, rope-thick weeds were wrapping around Gohan's legs, entangling him. He let out a grunt of surprise, struggling as the weeds turned into vines.

Annabeth raced over to Thalia, pulling her to her feet.

"You okay?" Thalia nodded.

"He's tough, I'll give him that." She groaned. Annabeth pressed her lips together.

"It's not his fault! That… girl has him under some kinda spell. Love magic, if I had to guess. Maybe she's a sorceress?" Thalia snorted as she wiped her nose, smearing her dried blood across her face.

"I don't care! It's him or us, Annabeth! He's gonna kill us!"

"I know!"

"Then help me!"

"A forward assault isn't going to work! He's too powerful! He beat Ares, Thalia! ARES! We're lucky he hasn't gone super yet!" Thalia cocked her head in confusion at that.

"Okay then. I don't suppose monkey boy told you if he had a weakness, did he?" Annabeth froze, looking at Gohan.

"In fact… he did. Thalia, I have an idea. Follow my lead."

Grover was playing his heart out, making the vines move faster as they reached Gohan's shoulders. But, Gohan wasn't having it. A bright blue aura surrounded him as pebbles began to float off the ground. His eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists. Then, he let out an animalistic roar as he thrust his hands out. The air seemed to explode, briefly blinding everyone with a massive yellow flash. The vines instantly vaporized, instantly freeing Gohan.

As Percy tried to blink the lights out of his eyes, he heard a _thwack_ and a yelp, and Grover landed next to him with a thud, smoke rising off his clothes.

"Grover, you okay?" Percy groaned. He got a moan as an answer.

"Yield! You cannot win this battle!" Thorn roared from nearby.

"Never!" Thalia yelled from across the field. She charged at Gohan, who whirled to face her as he raised his hands and for a second, Percy thought either she would run him through or he would completely vaporize her.

But then there was a thunderous noise and a blaze of light from behind them. The helicopter appeared out of the mist, hovering just beyond the cliffs. It was a sleek black military-style gunship, with attachments on the sides that looked like laser-guided rockets. The helicopter had to be manned by mortals, but what was it doing here? How could mortals be working with a monster? The searchlights blinded Thalia, allowing Gohan to fire a ki blast. Percy watched in horror as it exploded on her chest, sending her flying. Her shield flew off into the snow. Her spear flew in the other direction.

"No!" Percy ran out to help her. He reached into his pocket, and sure enough, Riptide was back. He pulled it out and uncapped it.

Dr. Thorn laughed. "Now do you see how hopeless it is, Perseus Jackson? Either you slaughter your best friend or allow him to destroy you! Yield, little heroes." They were trapped between their possessed best friend and a fully armed helicopter.

They had no chance. Then he heard a clear, piercing sound: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods.

The manticore froze. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and wind and the chopping of the helicopter blades.

"No," Dr. Thorn said. "It cannot be—"

His sentence was cut short when something shot past Percy like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder. A second one was snatched out of the air., the tip pointing less than an inch from his face.

Thorn staggered backward, wailing in agony. Amortentia shrieked as she raced away from Thron.

"Oh crap." she cursed.

"Curse you!" Thorn cried. He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. It almost looked like the arrows had intercepted the thorns in midair and sliced them in two, but that was impossible. No one, not even Apollo's kids at camp, could shoot with that much accuracy. The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. Percy tried to swipe at him with his sword, but he wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged his attack and slammed his tail into his shield, knocking Percy aside.

Then the archers came from the woods. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was maybe ten. The oldest, about fourteen, like me. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried. Next to Percy, Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful."

"Shit!" Abigail cursed as she nocked three arrows, turning away from the siblings. The air steamed as she shimmered gold. Several of the girls stepped back in surprise.

"Lord Apollo?" one of the girls asked curiously.

"NO!"

Another girl stepped forward. This one was a little younger than Percy, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. Her face was so beautiful it made Percy catch his breath, but her expression was stern and dangerous.

"That is NOT Apollo. This… thing is little more than a faint copy. The same could be said for this Aphrodite knockoff. They are all the same. Wild beasts. And hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creatures, are wild beasts." Amortentia turned red with rage.

"KNOCKOFF? WILD BEAST?!" She whirled towards Gohan, her face red with rage. A pink aura shimmered around her, pulsating like an electrical cable.

"SLAUGHTER THEM!" she roared. Gohan whirled, his eyes thinning into slits. A blue aura exploded around him, causing the ground to shake and several of the hunters to step back in surprise.

"Is he…" One of them whispered.

"I think he is! The Otherworlder!" another one added.

One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. "Permission to kill, my lady?"

"WAIT! He's not himself! That girl's controlling him with love magic!" Annabeth screamed, waving her arms frantically.

"Then it's his fault for being too weak. Fire!" the girl ordered. "No!" Annabeth screamed.

But the Hunters let their arrows fly. Dozens of them. Gohan simply smirked, before vanishing. A second later, he reappeared, his hands full of the Hunters' arrows, He then snapped his hands shut, snapping them all into pieces. Several hunters gaped in awe.

"So, the stories are true." The older archer breathed. Then, Gohan vanished again, reappearing in front of the Hunters. Without stopping, he slammed one in the chest, sending her flying back. He whirled on a second, snatching her bow right out of her hands and slamming her across the head with it. He then head-butted a third, knocking her to the ground. He leaped back as he fired a bright blue ki blast, causing the ground beneath the Hunters to explode, sending them flying.

At the same time, Abigail dived as she fired, taking advantage of the confusion. One shot missed, the second hit a Hunter in the shoulder, but the third struck another Hunter in the chest. She fell with a look of shock on her face, and didn't get up.

"Come on, Amortentia!" Abigail sprinted into the brush with the other girl close behind, vanishing into the brush as the other Hunters fired, to no avail.

"NO!" the older girl yelled in horror as she charged. Gohan whirled and ducked under her knife, catching her arm and twisting. She screamed as Gohan gripped her by the throat, before shooting up in the air, then flipping over and slamming the girl into the ground. Then, a yellow aura surrounded him, shooting straight downwards, ready to finish her off. But before he could, a silver blur smashed into him, sending him skidding into the snow. He looked up to see the smaller girl land in front of him, her silver eyes sparkling as a pair of silver knives glistened in her hands.

"ENOUGH! Now, you fight me, otherworlder! I must admit, I've been curious to see if the stories about your power are true."

"Wait! He's not himself! He's under the influence of that girl's love magic!" Annabeth yelled.

"I know. But pain is the only thing that breaks love magic. Therefore, defeating him will free him from the witch's spell." The girl stated calmly.

"You can't beat him! He beat Ares!" Percy yelled as he stood, supporting Thalia. Gohan rose as he faced the girl, grunting as a yellow aura surrounded him, making the ground shake. The girl looked at Percy, her eyes flashing.

"Do you know who I am, boy?" the girl asked calmly. Percy shook his head.

The young girl looked at Gohan, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt." Then, without either warrior saying a word, they charged at each other.


	8. Saiyan vs Goddess

At the last second, Artemis leaped into the air and flipped over Gohan, slamming her hand on his back. As if repelled by some unknown force, Gohan slammed into the ground while Artemis cleanly landed on her feet. He leaped to his face with a snarl as an orb glowed in his hands, hurling it at Artemis like a dodgeball. She seemed to move like the wind, whirling out of the way as the ground exploded. Gohan snarled as more orbs formed in his hands, before shooting up into the air and firing off dozens at once, cascading into the ground like exploding rain.

The snow was completely gone as the smoke faded, leaving crater-ridden roles. But… no Artemis. He cocked his head in confusion. Then, he let out a roar as a stab of pain exploded on his back, stumbling forward. Artemis smiled, both her knives stained with Gohan's blood. Somehow, she'd gotten behind him and sliced an X across his back. At that moment, the helicopter decided to open fire. There was a _snap-snap- snap_ from the helicopter—the sound of gunfire. Most of the Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, Artemis just looked up calmly at the helicopter.

"Mortals," she announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt."

She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into dust—no, not dust. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds—ravens, which scattered into the night. While the copter problem was solved, this left Artemis open for the briefest second. She whirled to see Gohan's fist, managing to land a solid hook across her face. She stumbled back in surprise. A tiny silver of golden blood, ichtor, dribbled down the side of her mouth. Slowly, she wiped the side of her mouth.

"Hmph. I expected more." Gohan whirled to face her, letting out an animalistic snarl. Now that Percy noticed, the pink glow seemed to be mixing with a new, almost reddish, tinge. He reached for his wrist and tapped, causing Ascension to appear in his hand, causing the goddess to blink in surprise.

However, as soon as the blade appeared, a flurry of blue electricity sparked across the blade, going down the hilt. Gohan screeched as his body spasmed, before finally dropping the blade, letting it fall onto the ground with a loud THUD.

Gohan snarled as he looked down at his arm. Without flinching, he clenched his fist, causing a bright, shimmering purple blade of energy to form on his sword arm. He gritted his teeth before charging at Artemis, who leaped back as he swung at her. The second swing sliced cleanly through a tree, causing it to fall to the ground. The third swing, Artemis caught his arms, showing incredible strength that one would not expect from a girl of that size. Gohan grunted as the ground shook beneath them.

"My lady!" The older girl cried. Without hesitation, she fired off two arrows. The first flew into Gohan's shoulder, the second in his lower back, causing him to scream.

"Zoë! Do not interfere!" Artemis ordered, snarling as a silver aura pulsed around her. Then, completely abruptly, Gohan froze and let out a scream as he tensed. Artemis stumbled back in surprise before seeing the source: Annabeth was clutching Gohan's tail for dear life, squeezing as hard as she could.

"Thalia! NOW!" Annabeth roared. In perfect synchronization, Thalia slid past Annabeth and pulled out her knife, stabbing Gohan in the middle of his tail. Gohan let out a bloodcurdling scream as his entire body exploded in pain, doubling over.

"AAAAHHHHH! OOOOOWWWWW!" a loud cracking sound filled the air as a blast of pink light exploded from Gohan, sending everyone flying in different directions. Once the light had faded, Gohan slumped onto the ground, propping himself on his elbows. Percy and Annabeth raced over to him, while Artemis was quickly surrounded by the Hunters. Thalia just groaned and sat on the ground. However, her eyes then focused on Ascension, still sitting right where Gohan had dropped it. As if by cue, a spark of blue electricity danced up the blade. Her eyebrows rose as a smile crept onto her face.

"….. Gohan? You with us?" Percy was the first to ask. Gohan groaned as he looked up at Percy… his eyes a solid black.

"I don't feel so good. You guys got any food?" A look of immense relief broke across Percy and Annabeth's faces. She immediately punched him in the arm.

"OW!"

"Really, muscle-head? You idiot! You stupid, idiotic, empty-headed idiot!" she sobbed.

"You said idiot twice." She punched him again.

"Ow!" He tried to sit up, but winched, groaning as he fell on his face.

"Ow! My back feels weird." Percy jumped in there.

"Yeah… I wouldn't move, buddy. Or look back there. You've been a bit… out of it." Gohan nodded, frowning as he reached back to his back, his eyes widening as he felt one of the arrows.

"Huh… there are arrows in my back. Oh my." Then, he slumped unconscious

"Gohan!" Annabeth cried, but she was interrupted by an earsplitting roar. Thorn erupted from the forest, his face red with rage. Surprisingly, he had been completely forgotten amid all the chaos.

"If I cannot have these half-bloods alive, I shall have them dead!"

He lunged at Percy, Annabeth and Gohan, knowing they were weak and dazed.

"No!'" Annabeth yelled, shoving Gohan and Percy aside as she charged at the monster.

"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"

Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life. Instinctively, several of the hunters opened fire.

The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay! None of you have any idea of the true horrors in store for you! But you will!" And before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, tumbled over the cliff and fell into the darkness.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled. The Hunters advanced on them, bows at the ready.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled. "You have to let us save her!"

The auburn-haired girl turned toward him. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help. She has been taken."

Percy tried to struggle to his feet, but a couple of the girls held him down.

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said. However, they were interrupted by a loud roar of rage. As it turned out, Thalia had tried to grab Ascension. However, the second her hand grabbed the hilt, she let out a screech as a bolt of blue electricity shot off the blade and slammed into her chest, sending her flying. She crashed onto the ground, letting out a moan as smoke rose from her chest.

"WHY?" she howled in rage, slamming her fist onto the ground.

The one called Zoe stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste. Thalia looked up. Her face turned into an angry one

"Zoe Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual." A loud wail interrupted them, causing them to turn to see several hunters crowded around the girl who had been shot by Abigail. The golden arrow was sticking out of her chest, and she wasn't moving.

"Aldrina!" Zoe gasped as she raced over to the girl and bent over, followed by Artemis. Zoe swore angrily.

"She's gone, my lady." Artemis nodded solemnly, closing the girl's eyes.

"Yes. She died bravely." Another girl stepped forward.

"My lady. I request permission to take a group out and hunt down her killers." Artemis closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"No point, Phoebe. They are long gone. They used their possessed puppet as a distraction to flee once they realized they were outmatched. No loyalty, it seems, as they left the manticore behind…"

Zoe scanned Percy and the others. "Four half-bloods, a satyr, and an… I'm not sure what exactly that thing is, my lady."

"Yes," Artemis said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see." Grover gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so... you're so... Wow!"

"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

"HEY! Help him!" Percy pointed at the unconscious Gohan. However, not a single Hunter moved.

"Seriously?! Help him! He's my friend! It wasn't his fault, that girl was making him do it! Not to mention these are YOUR arrows stuck in his back, after your goddess told you not to attack him! He saved Zeus' Master Bolt, you know! You wanna tell Zeus that you let that hero die?" Percy demanded. Artemis frowned, but finally let out a sigh.

"Phoebe. Tend to him." The girl opened her mouth to protest, but stopped cold when Artemis raised her hand. She quickly shut up and bowed.

"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out."

Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of them in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who... who the hell are you people? What's going on? In the last ten minutes, one of my classmates was going to shoot an arrow in my face, my teacher turned into a giant monster, there was a glowing pink girl, and that guy right there! Shooting laser beams out of his hands, shooting up in the air and hurling trees at me! What is he, Superman?" Percy snorted.

"You're actually not too far off on that last one." He muttered under his breath.

Artemis's expression softened. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are _you_! Who are your parents?"

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis and Gohan.

"Our parents are dead," Bianca said. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but..."

She faltered.

"What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."

"You are a half-blood," Zoe Nightshade said. Her accent was hard to place. It sounded old-fashioned, like she was reading from a really old book. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian... athlete?" "No," Zoe said. "One of the gods." "Cool!" said Nico. "No!" Bianca's voice quavered. "This is not cool!"

Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for—"

"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

As anxious as Percy felt about both Gohan and Annabeth—all he wanted to do was search for her and make sure that his best friend was alright—he couldn't help feeling sorry for the di Angelos. He remembered what it was like for him when he first learned he was a demigod. Not to mention the whole thing about Gohan being a half-alien from a parallel universe. Boy, did THAT open up a whole new set of questions.

Thalia must've been feeling something similar, because the anger in her eyes subsided a little bit. "Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well... Our lives are dangerous."

"Dangerous," Bianca said, "like the girl who fell. Like that girl over there who's… dead? Like your friend right there with the arrows sticking out of his back who just tried to murder us?"

"Hey!" Percy snapped

Thalia turned away. Even Artemis looked pained.

"Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."

"Then why won't you let us go look for her?" Percy asked, still smarting from Bianca's jab.

"She is gone. Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."

Percy still wanted to jump off the cliff and search for her, but he had a feeling that Artemis was right. Annabeth was gone. If she'd been down there in the sea, he should be able to feel her presence.

"Oo!" Nico raised his hand. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead?"

"He was a manticore," Artemis said. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."

"Or they'll hunt us," Thalia said.

Bianca di Angelo shivered. "That explains... Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in DC?"

"And that bus driver," Nico said. "The one with the ram's horns. I _told_ you that was real."

"That's why Grover has been watching you," Percy said. "To keep you safe, if you turned out to be half-bloods."

"Grover?" Bianca stared at him. "You're a demigod?"

"Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes and displayed his goat hooves. Percy thought Bianca was going to faint right there.

"Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia said. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!"

"What about him?! Is that a tail? Why does he have a monkey tail?!" Bianca demanded as she pointed at Gohan's unconscious form. Indeed, his tail could be seen lying limply between his legs.

"That's… complicated. Look, Bianca," Percy interrupted "we came here to help you. All of us. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."

"Camp?" she asked.

"Camp Half-Blood," Percy said. "It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."

"Sweet, let's go!" said Nico. "Wait," Bianca shook her head. "I don't—" "There _is_ another option," Zoe said. "No, there isn't!" Thalia said.

Thalia and Zoe glared at each other. The air was so tense that one could cut through it with a knife.

"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoe, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded, and prepare for Aldrina's farewell. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."

"Yes, my lady."

"And, Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you."

"What about me?" Nico asked.

Artemis considered the boy. "Perhaps you can show Grover how to play that card game you enjoy, or perhaps watch over that injured warrior. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while... as a favor to me?"

Grover just about tripped over himself getting up. "You bet! Come on, Nico!"

Nico and Grover walked off toward the woods, talking about hit points and armor ratings and a bunch of other geeky stuff. Artemis led a confused-looking Bianca along the cliff. The Hunters began unpacking their knapsacks and making camp. Phoebe and several others hunters, much to their disgust, carefully picked up Gohan and carried him off.

Zoe gave Thalia one more evil look, then left to oversee things.

As soon as she was gone, Thalia stamped her foot in frustration. "The nerve of those Hunters! They think they're so... Argh!"

"I'm with you," Percy said. "I don't trust—"

"Oh, you're with me?" Thalia turned on him furiously. "What were you _thinking_ back there in the gym, Percy? You'd take on Dr. Thorn all by yourself? You _knew_ he was a monster! Not that Gohan's innocent either, but I can buy that he was stupid enough to fall for that… that… bitch's ruse. And YOU! I can't believe you just took a drink from a complete stranger, just because it looked like a cute girl! Are you that pathetic that you go all goo-goo eyed for any girl that smiles at you?" Percy's face flushed red in embarrassment and shame. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. Ignoring him, Thalia continued on her rant.

"If we'd stuck together, we could've taken him without the Hunters getting involved. You wouldn't have been poisoned, and Gohan wouldn't have gotten whammied and nearly killed us! Annabeth might still be here. Did you think of that?"

Percy's jaw clenched. He thought of some harsh things to say, and he might've said them too, but then Percy looked down and saw something navy blue lying in the snow at his feet. Annabeth's New York Yankees baseball cap.

Thalia didn't say another word. She wiped a tear from her cheek, turned, and marched off as she wiped her face to get the blood out, leaving him alone with a trampled cap in the snow.

The Hunters set up their camping site in a matter of minutes. Seven large tents, all of silver silk, curved in a crescent around one side of a bonfire. One of the girls blew a silver dog whistle, and a dozen white wolves appeared out of the woods. They began circling the camp like guard dogs. The Hunters walked among them and fed them treats, completely unafraid, but Percy decided he would stick close to the tents. Falcons watched them from the trees, their eyes flashing in the firelight, and Percy got the feeling they were on guard duty, too. Even the weather seemed to bend to the goddess's will. The air was still cold, but the wind died down and the snow stopped falling, so it was almost pleasant sitting by the fire.

Almost... except for the pain in his shoulder and stomach and the guilt weighing him down. He couldn't believe how badly things had gone. Annabeth was gone, and Gohan was still unconscious and wounded. And as angry as he was at Thalia, he had a sinking feeling that she was right. It _was_ his fault. He had let his jealously get the better of him. Trying to show up Gohan and Thalia. And now, one of his best friends was hurt because of him and another missing.

He watched Thalia pacing in the snow at the edge of camp, walking among the wolves without fear. She stopped and looked back at Westover Hall, which was now completely dark, looming on the hillside beyond the woods.

Seven years ago, Thalia had been turned into a pine tree by her father, to prevent her from dying. She'd stood her ground against an army of monsters on top of Half-Blood Hill in order to give her friends Luke and Annabeth time to escape. She'd only been back as a human for a few months now, and once in a while she would stand so motionless you'd think she was still a tree. Though, her temper certainly had issues. The second she had woken up, she had picked a fight with Gohan and tried to kill him. Annabeth had been the only one keeping the peace between the two ever since. Frankly, it was surprising how similar the two were. Thinking of Gohan, he decided to check on him, finding him near the fire. Phoebe had apparently brought out a mat and dumped him on it, also removing his shirt to get better access to the arrows. She gave him a wary glance as he walked over and sat on a nearby stump, but didn't say anything, dabbing at his back with a wet rag. Percy still marveled at Gohan plenty. But, now he was intrigued and shocked by just how many scars the young warrior had, not even counting the shimmering X in his back from Artemis or the arrows, which would likely leave another scar. His breath frosted in the air as he breathed softly, still out cold.

"I hope you're having good dreams, buddy, cause you're not gonna like the nightmare when you wake up."


	9. Debating with a Goddess

Gohan was indeed having… sweet dreams, in a sense. He was sitting on the edge of Kami's Lookout, his feet dangling over the edge. In his hands was a giant ice-cream sundae, heaped with bananas, sprinkles and was a beautiful day, with the sky clear, the sun shining in the sky, and a light breeze ticking across his face

"Mmmmmm…" Gohan grinned, shoving another spoonful in his mouth.

"This place is weird." Gohan, strangely, was not surprised see that Annabeth had suddenly appeared next to him, also holding a giant sundae. Her face scrunched up in annoyance as she tasted a small piece of the sundae.

"There's no way I can eat this." Gohan chuckled at the annoyed look on Annabeth's face, before literally punging his face in and eating it by the mouthful.

"Mmmmmm!"

"Moron." Gohan laughed as he wiped his face. However, his delight was soon interrupted by the sound of someone shouting his name,

"Gohan!" he blinked in confusion. He could have sworn that he had just heard someone shout his name. But, it was really faint.

"You say something?" he asked Annabeth. She shook her head. Gohan was even more baffled when he heard the voice again. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it sounded oddly familiar.

"So… when are you finally gonna say it?" Annabeth asked. Gohan frowned.

"Say what?"

"You know what." Annabeth teased, a smile forming on her face.

"Ummmmm…" she rolled her eyes, letting her legs swing over the abyss. Her hair blew softly, dancing in the wind.

"Gohan… sometimes you need to be blunt. You can't bottle your feelings up forever. That doesn't really tend to end well." Gohan rolled his eyes.

"I wish you could see this. Like, really see it. You'd love it." She nodded.

"I'd probably spend an hour alone asking about all the designs of this place." Just then, the Lookout seemed to shake, rumbling under them.

"That was weird." Gohan muttered, before taking another bite.

"Gohan… you know you have to wake up soon."

"I know." The sky seemed to darken above them, the blue sky dissolving into black mist, casting a shadow over them.

"But…" Annabeth pressed.

"But… maybe I just want to enjoy all this for a minute longer, Annabeth. I just hate… being so confused."

"Confused about what?"

"Everything. What my role in all this is. I mean… all of this, me being here, going on that first adventure with you and Percy. Honestly? I shouldn't be here. Never should have been. This isn't my world, and everyone knows it. That's why they call me Otherworlder. When it comes down to it, this whole thing was one big accident." Annabeth looked at Gohan for seconds, or perhaps an eternity, before she finally answered.

"Was it?" Before Gohan could answer, a loud CRACK revenated beneath him, as the entire platform rumbled.

"I couldn't agree more." A familiar voice called out, making Gohan's blood go cold as he whirled to see no other than Cell, standing several feet away with a large smile on his face. Gohan's blood ran cold.

"This is a dream, it's not real. This is a dream, it's not real." Cell sneered as he raised a hand and aimed it right at Annabeth.

"Is it?" Cell grinned. Then, he fired a bright purple ki blast at Annabeth.

"NO!" Without thinking, Gohan dove towards Annabeth, wrapping his arms around her as Cell's blast struck. The ground fell beneath them, plunging them into a black abyss. A second later, Gohan blinked in confusion. Annabeth had vanished, and he was falling, falling, falling. A black void that seemed to stretch on forever. Then, out of the void, a deep, deep voice chuckled, washing waves of fear over him.

" **The great Otherworlder… so powerful, yet so weak** **…** **I** **'** **m disappointed.** **"**

"Who are you? Kronos?" Gohan yelled. His voice seemed to echo back at him from a thousand different direction. The voice chuckled.

" **Ohhhh… that's tricky to answer. But why spoil the fun, when there's so much more to do! You'll see soon, boy. You can't save them all… not even her.**

"NO!" Gohan screamed as he sat up, gasping as sweat rolled down his face. He winched, feeling a dull pain on his back.

"Don't move, boy!" a girl's voice spat from

"Whoa! Calm down, buddy!" Percy's voice rang out, causing Gohan to freeze, blinding until his vision came back into focus, revealing Percy, sitting right in front of him. A smile broke on his battered face.

"Welcome back. You were kinda out of it for awhile." Gohan cocked his confusion.

"What happened?"

"Do… you remember anything?"

"Ummm… I remember getting dropped off at that school by your mom. I still hate cars, I remember that. And… I was dancing with Annabeth? That's the last thing I remember." that put a bit of a frown on Percy's face. Strange. Now that he thought about it, Percy had that expression on his face a lot. Before Gohan could think on that more, he let out a yell as a shot of pain exploded in the middle of his back. He turned his head to see Phoebe, scowling as she held an arrow, its tip glistening red.

"Stay still, boy, or I might cause more pain then necessary." Then, she pressed her lips together as she pondered that thought.

"Actually… move all you want, I don't mind." Gohan stared at her in confusion before looking back at Percy.

"What… exactly is going on? Where's Annabeth?" That caused a pained expression on Percy's face. Gohan's heart skipped a beat as he suddenly remembered one of the things that that… thing in his dream had taunted him with: **"Not even her…"**

It took about ten minutes for Percy to summarize the evening's events, as Phoebe finished binding up his wounds. Gohan was silent the entire time, unmoving, focused on Percy. Frankly, Percy wasn't sure how Gohan would react.

"So… yeah. Annabeth's gone, though I don't think she's dead." No response.

"It wasn't your fault." Percy added. Nothing. Before Percy could say anymore, Grover and Nico came through the tent's flaps, back from their walk. Grover let out a nervous bleat at the sight of Gohan. Nico simply stared at him with a wide eyed expression.

"I'm fine, guys." Gohan spoke. Grover still gave him a way look while Nico brightened up immediately and stuck out his hand.

"Hi! I'm Nico!" Gohan blinked in surprise at the young man.

"Hi, Nico. I'm Gohan." Gohan awkwardly reached out and shook Nico's hand, causing him to beam.

"You were super cool out there, with all the smashing and blasting and…" Nico continued to pester Gohan as Grover helped Percy fix up his wounded arm.

"It's green!" Nico said with delight. "Hold still," Grover told him. "Here, eat some ambrosia while I clean that out."

"Grover… thanks for saving me. That was pretty brave, taking on Gohan." Grover nodded. Percy winced as he dressed the wound, but the ambrosia square helped. It tasted like homemade brownie, dissolving in his mouth and sending a warm feeling through his whole body. Between that and the magic salve Grover used, Percy's shoulder and stomach felt better within a couple of minutes. Percy had a feeling that the ambrosia was purging the effects of the poison from his stomach.

"Can you fly? How can you shoot those beams out of your hands? And how'd you pull that tree out of the ground? Are you a superhero?" Gohan's face flustered.

"W-well, Nico, it's a bit complicated. No, I'm not a superhero. I can do all these things due to my ki." Nico frowned.

"Your what?"

"My energy. In my world, there are certain beings who can utilize this energy to improve their physical abilities. " Gohan held his hand up palmside. A second later, a bright yellow orb appeared in it, causing Nico's eyes to widen.

"Cool! Are you an alien?" Gohan smirked.

"No. But my dad was. And I'm from a parallel Earth." By cue, his tail unwrapped from his waist Nico's eyes were as wide as sacuers.

"COOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL!" Gohan chuckled in amusement. Well, before Nico bombarded him with more questions.

"What's a parallel Earth?" "Well, a Parallel Earth is another Earth." "I don't get it." Gohan pressed his lips together, trying to come up with a good explanation.

"All right, so, Imagine there are multiple versions of Earth." Nico gave Gohan a puzzled look. Gohan sighed, holding his hand up, and using his ki to create an illustration.

"Okay… think of it like this. Essentially, there are inifitie possibilities out there. And, there are Earths for all of them. So all of these Earths occupy the same place in space, but they vibrate at a different frequency so they can't see or interact with one another. Some are very smiliar to each other, but others would look so different and have different things on it that it would be like an alien world. So, maybe there's an Earth where the Nazis won World War II. Or one filled with superheroes, like you thought I was. Or one that's centuries ahead of this one and super advanced. Or, one where Percy was born a girl."

"Hey!" Gohan grinned at the expression on Percy's face.

"Oh come on, I bet that version of you is super attractive." Percy hurled his bag at Gohan, which he dodged by simply moving his head with a grin.

"So… are you, like, an explorer? Have you come to study our planet?! Do you have a big spaceship? Can I see it? And, ummm… are u gonna probe me?" Gohan stared at Nico with a baffled expression before looking at Percy.

"Ummmm… I don't have a spaceship, I came here by accident. And…probe?" Percy leaned into Gohan's ear and whispered the definition, causing Gohan's eyes to widen.

"Wha! Ew! That's gross!" Nico frowned.

"Oh, ok. So… you came here by accident? Are you gonna go back?" Percy gave Gohan a nervous look, knowing full well whata testy subject that was, but Gohan simply chuckled.

"Yes, Nico, it was an accident. I was fighting someone, someone bad, and I ended up here. Apparently if you release enough power, make an explosion, then it's possible to open, like, a breach, - and then travel between worlds. Or, rather in my case, get sucked in. Unfortunately… I'm stuck here. For now. I can't seem to find my way back home." Nico cocked his head.

"So… you're lost? I know that feeling, believe me." Gohan smiled.

"Fortunately for me, I crash-landed in just the right place. The Camp. And then… I met Percy. And Annabeth. And… Grover. And we have been through a lot together." Grover shifted nervously.

"Really?

"Yep. Tell you what. When we get back to camp, I'll tell you all about my adventures."

"That's cool!" Nico rummaged through his own bag, which the Hunters had apparently packed for him. Nico laid out a bunch of figurines in the snow—little battle replicas of Greek gods and heroes. Gohan recognized Zeus with a lightning bolt, Ares with a spear, Apollo with his sun chariot.

"Big collection," Gohan said.

Nico grinned. "I've got almost all of them, plus their holographic cards! Well, except for a few really rare ones."

"You've been playing this game a long time?"

"Just this year. Before that..." He knit his eyebrows.

"What?" Percy asked.

"I forget. That's weird."

He looked unsettled, but it didn't last long. "Hey, can I see that sword you were using, Percy?" Percy rolled his eyes before showing Nico Riptide, and explained how it turned from a pen into a sword just by uncapping it.

"Cool! Does it ever run out of ink?" "Um, well, I don't actually write with it." "Are you really the son of Poseidon?" "Well, yeah." "Can you surf really well, then?" Percy looked at Grover and Gohan, who was trying hard not to laugh. "Jeez, Nico," Percy said. "I've never really tried."

He went on asking questions. Did Percy fight a lot with Thalia, since she was a daughter of Zeus? (Percy didn't answer that one.) If Annabeth's mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn't Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff? Both Gohan and Percy suddenly got urges to strangle him. Was Annabeth Percy's girlfriend?

"No!" Percy snapped with a red face. Nico looked at Gohan curiously.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Gohan flustered as he sputtered.

"Wh-no-no! No! She's not my girlfriend!" Nico cocked his head in confusion.

"Why were you dancing with her then?" Gohan was starting to get a desire to throw Nico off the cliff. But then, Zoe Nightshade came through the tent flaps, her gaze settling on the boys.

"Percy Jackson. _You_." She glared at Gohan, who simply gave her a baffled look.

She had dark brown eyes and a slightly upturned nose. With her silver circlet and her proud expression, she looked so much like royalty. She studied Gohan distastefully, like I was a bag of dirty laundry she'd been sent to fetch.

"Come with me," she said. "Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee. Put a shirt on first." She ordered, hurling what looked like a robe at Gohan. The two followed her out of the tent, though Gohan did pause for a minute at the sight of something sparkling in the snow. Acension.

"There you are!" He picked up the sword, which sparked in his hand before shrinking back to an armband.

"Huh." Percy observed.

Zoe led them to the last tent, which looked no different from the others, and waved them inside. Bianca di Angelo was seated next to the auburn-haired girl, who Gohan still had trouble thinking of as Artemis. After metting gods like Hades, Zeus, Poseidon and Ares, he was still surprised by the thought that a little girl was the goddess Artemis. True, Athena had also taken the form of a little girl when he had first met her, but that had just been a trick to get him alone.

The inside of the tent was warm and comfortable. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor. In the center, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. Behind the goddess, on a polished oak display stand, was her huge silver bow, carved to resemble gazelle horns. The walls were hung with animal pelts: black bear, tiger, and several others Gohan didn't recognize. Percy thought she had another animal pelt lying next to her, and then he realized it was a live animal—a deer with glittering fur and silver horns, its head resting contentedly in Artemis's lap. Then, to Percy's surprise, Gohan bowed.

"Lady Artemis, it's a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for my earlier state. That's not my… normal state." The goddess nodded.

"I accept your apology. Please understand the wariness of my Hunters. It has been a very long time since we crossed paths with an Otherworlder, and it was not a pleseant encounter them. Furthermore, it is very rare that we would have boys in this camp. Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp..." She looked at Zoe. "Which one was it?"

"That boy in Colorado," Zoe said. "You turned him into a jackalope." Artemis chuckled at that before looking back at the boys, focusing on Gohan.

"So, you are the one who helped recover Zeus' Master Bolt a year ago and defeated Ares?" Gohan nodded.

"I am. Actually, it was a team effort." Gohan explained, gesturing at Percy. Artemis looked intrigued.

With a curious expression, Artemis made a gesture at Gohan, causing his wristband to fly off of his wrist and into her hand, where it hovered. Then, Ascension morphed back into its sword form, where it sparked and shimmered, blue sparks dancing over the blade.

"So, it's true then. The Master Bolt allowed you to wield it in battle against Ares, and awarded you a fragment of itself. It has been a long, long time since I have seen a warrior with a pure heart. Otherwise, the bolt would have turned you to ash the moment you touched it…" Artemis spoke softly, turning the blade over.

"He is still a boy." Zoe muttered under her breath, though she stopped when Artemis looked at her. Then, she made a pushing gesture, and the blade flew back to Gohan, settling back on his hand.

"Join us." the goddess said.

The two boys sat across from her on the tent floor. The goddess studied them. She had such old eyes for a young girl.

"Are either of you surprised by my age?" she asked.

"Uh... a little." Percy was the one to answer. Gohan shrugged.

"You're a goddess. You can make yourself look however you want. Through, you're not really a little girl. You're thousands of years old." Artemis smiled.

"You're quite observant, Otherworlder. I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters, and all young maidens for whom I am patron, before they go astray."

"Go astray?" Percy asked.

"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."

"Oh. Okay then." Gohan looked a bit intrigued at that. Zoe snorted as she sat down at Artemis's right. She glared at them as if all the stuff Artemis had just said was their fault, like either of them had invented the idea of being a guy.

"Look at him, he looks down on us. I bet on his world, men treat women as their inferiors, just like so many here." Gohan looked offended.

"That's not true! My mom was a martial artist, and my friend Bulma owns a huge corporation!" Zoe rolled her eyes.

"And…" Gohan's mouth went dry. Now that he thought about it… who else did he know. Well, there was that one girl, Lime… she was brave. Though, he didn't know much about her besides that.

"Uhhhhhh…" Zoe smirked.

"I thought so."

"I didn't have a lot of friends back home, okay! Most of my friends were my dad's friends, our fellow fighting comrades!"

"Who were all male, I assume." Gohan turned red in frustration.

"Enough, Zoe. It is not our place to judge the cultures of other worlds. Remember." Artemis spoke, an expression of annoyance on her face. Zoe pressed her lips together, but was silent.

Artemis then looked at Gohan.

"You seem to be a brave warrior, pure of heart. The Master Bolt proved that much. However, I wish to know more about you. Your power is impressive. I suspect what I witnessed was but a small fraction of it. I wish to know more." Gohan glanced at Percy, who subtly nodded.

"It's a bit of a long story." Still, Gohan told his story anyway, from his first fight when he was four to his final battle with the psychotic android Cell. Personally, Percy never got tired of hearing it, often pressing Gohan for more details about one specific adventure or the other. There were times he wished he could have gone on adventures in outer space or explored alien planets.

"And then the last thing I remembered was crashing into Camp Half-Blood." Gohan finished. It took everything Percy had not to snigger at the look of amazement on Bianca's face. Amazingly, though, Artemis seemed unfazed.

"So, that's how you arrived here…" she muttered softly, along with some other things that Gohan couldn't understand. Then, without asking any other questions, she continued.

"At any rate, I've asked you both here so that you might tell me more of the manticore and those other creatures. Bianca has reported some of the... mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But she may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from you, Percy. And, Gohan, I'd like to know exactly what occurred with that other creature, the one that had you under its control."

"Hang on. You called those people creatures. The ones that attacked us. But, they looked completely human. Weren't they rogue demigods? They certainly acted like the kids at camp." Artemis shook her head, her expression grim.

"No. Those things were not demigods. The power they possessed was not… natural. They were mere imitations of Apollo and Aphrodite. Far more powerful than normal demigods, but still a pale shadow."

"That abomination will pay." Phoebe hissed.

And so, Percy told her, once again repeating the evening's events.

When he was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."

Zoe sat forward. "The scent, my lady?"

"Yes."

"What scent?"

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten. Creatures I have never seen before. Ancient foes are reawakening."

"But why now?" Gohan asked.

"You." Zoe spoke bitterly, causing all eyes to fall on her. Artemis sighed deeply.

"I am afraid she is correct. When you came from your world to ours, you broke the barrier that has held the worlds apart for millennia. It still stands for now, but it remains cracked. And those cracks will grow given time, until they can be mended. Making things worse, it seems that things are seeping through those cracks." Artemis paused as she closed her eyes.

"I have sensed for several years now that the balance of the world has been disrupted. One with the vision can see it. In the wind, the water, the grass… in the very air. It all feels… different than before. Unfortunately, our enemies appear to have felt it as well, and have taken it as an sign that their time is now."

She stared at them intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

"Um, 'I hate middle school dances.'"

"No, no. After that."

"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me."

Zoe's face paled. She turned to Artemis and started to say something, but Artemis raised her hand.

"Go on, Percy," the goddess said.

"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stir Pot—"

"Stirring," Bianca corrected.

"Yeah. And he said, 'Soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus. And that there were other horrors even worse. The entire world, consumed in darkness."

The goddess was so still she could've been a statue. "Maybe he was lying," Gohan said.

Artemis shook her head. "No. He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster. History must not be allowed to repeat itself."

Zoe looked like she was trying very hard not to be afraid, but she nodded. "We will leave right away, my lady."

"No, Zoe. I must do this alone."

"But, Artemis—"

"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."

"As... as you wish, my lady."

"I will find this creature," Artemis vowed. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."

"You know what the monster is?" Percy asked.

Artemis gripped her bow. "Let us pray I am wrong. Hopefully, about everything."

"Can goddesses pray?" Gohan asked, because that seemed like a strange concept to him.

A flicker of a smile played across Artemis's lips. "Before I go, I have a small task for you."

"Does it involve getting turned into a jackalope?"

"Sadly, no. I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood. They can stay there in safety until I return."

" _What_?" Zoe' blurted out. "But, Artemis, we hate that place. The last time we stayed there—"

"Yes, I know," Artemis said. "But I'm sure Dionysus will not hold a grudge just because of a little, ah, misunderstanding. It's your right to use Cabin Eight whenever you are in need. Besides, I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down."

Zoe muttered something about foolish campers.

"And now there is one last decision to make." Artemis turned to Bianca. "Have you made up your mind, my girl?"

Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it." "Wait," Percy said. "Thinking about what?" "They... they've invited me to join the Hunt."

"What? But you can't! You have to come to Camp Half-Blood so Chiron can train you. It's the only way you can learn to survive."

"It is _not_ the only way for a girl," Zoe said.

"Bianca, camp is cool! It's got a pegasus stable and a sword-fighting arena and... I mean, what do you get by joining the Hunters?" "To begin with," Zoe said, "immortality." Percy stared at her, then at Artemis. Gohan's eyes widened.

"Seriously?" he asked, intrigued.

"Ummmm… not to be rude, but… what about that girl earlier? The one who's lying dead outside with the arrow in her chest?" Percy pressed, causing Bianca to pale slightly. Zoe shot to her feet, her eyes blazing.

"Nice, you idiot!" Gohan hissed.

"Zoe! He meant no disrespect, merely making an inquiry. Still, Percy Jackson, that was… disrespectful to Aldrina's name. She served me well for many years." Percy bowed his head, mumbling an apology.

"My Hunters follow me on my adventures. They are my maidservants, my companions, my sisters-in-arms. Once they swear loyalty to me, they are indeed immortal... unless they fall in battle, which is what happened to Aldrina. But, that doesn't happen often. Or break their oath." Gohan whistled softly.

"Man. And to think in my world, people blew up entire planets and cities to try and acquire immortality. But, there's always a catch, isn't there?" Gohan asked. Artemis chuckled.

"Our method of immortality is far easier than exploring an entire world to collect seven magical orbs in order to summon a magical dragon that can grant any wish that you desire, I assure you." Zoe chuckled.

"What a stupid method."

"What oath?" Percy interrupted, not eager to start a fight between Gohan and Zoe.

"To foreswear romantic love forever," Artemis said. "To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."

"And there it is." Gohan sighed

"Like you?"

The goddess nodded.

Gohan tried to imagine what she was saying. Being immortal. Hanging out with only middle- school girls forever. Personally, he had always wondered about immortality himself, especially given the extremes he had seen others go through to get it, like Vegeta and Frieza.

"Doesn't it get… boring? Living forever?" he asked. Artemis looked a bit amused by the question.

"I am a goddess, boy. My existence is never boring."

Percy couldn't get his mind around it. "So you just go around the country recruiting half-bloods—"

"Not just half-bloods," Zoe interrupted. "Lady Artemis does not discriminate by birth. All who honor the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals—"

"Which are you, then?"

Anger flashed in Zoe's eyes. "That is not thy concern, boy. The point is Bianca may join if she wishes. It is her choice."

"Bianca, this is crazy," Percy said. "What about your brother? Nico can't be a Hunter."

"Certainly not," Artemis agreed. "He will go to camp. Unfortunately, that's the best boys can do."

"Hey!" Percy protested. Gohan frowned.

"That's a little rude. You should judge someone based on what they do, not what about what they are. I have a friend here that's pretty smart and brave, yet people judge him differently than his sister because his skin's much darker than hers. You keep talking about how our worlds keep women down, but you're doing the exact same thing by judging boys. There seems to be a bit of hypocrisy there." Percy bit his tongue to stop himself from cheering "Damn!" given how right Gohan was. Zoe snarled, clearly insulted. The silver aura briefly intensified around Artemis, though she didn't say anything. Gohan snarled, winching as a sudden burst of rage shot through him. He willed it to stop. Artemis cocked her head, almost in curiosity.

"Watch your tongue, boy. You are my guest. Please respect our views. You may see them as flawed, but they are still ours all the same." She turned to Bianca.

"You can see him from time to time," Artemis assured her. "But you will be free of responsibility. He will have the camp counselors to take care of him. And you will have a new family. Us."

"A new family," Bianca repeated dreamily. "Free of responsibility." Gohan frowned.

"You'd abandon your brother, just like that? Make a life-changing decision without thinking about it. Seems a little… rash." He said.

"Bianca, you can't do this," Percy chimed in. "It's nuts." She looked at Zoe. "Is it worth it?" Zoe nodded. "It is." "What do I have to do?"

"Say this," Zoe told her, " 'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis.'"

"I... I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."

"'I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.'"

Bianca repeated the lines. "That's it?"

Zoe nodded. "If Lady Artemis accepts thy pledge, then it is binding."

"I accept it," Artemis said.

The flames in the brazier brightened, casting a silver glow over the room. Bianca looked no different, but she took a deep breath and opened her eyes wide. "I feel... stronger."

"Welcome, sister," Zoe said.

"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."

Percy couldn't speak. He felt like a complete failure. After everything they had just gone through, it had just been flushed down the toilet. Though Gohan didn't speak, a few bright sparks flashed across his chest, clearly indicating his frustration as well.

"Do not despair, Percy Jackson," Artemis said. "You will still get to show the di Angelos your camp. And if Nico so chooses, he can stay there."

"Great," Percy said, trying not to sound surly. "How are we supposed to get there? We all can't fly like Gohan here."

Artemis closed her eyes. "Dawn is approaching. Zoe, make sure the final preparations are done for Aldrina's ceremony so we can break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother."

Zoe didn't look real happy about this idea, but she nodded and told Bianca to follow her. As she was leaving, Bianca paused in front of them. "I'm sorry, guys. But I want this. I really, really do. And, ummm… I hope you find a way back to your home, Gohan."

Then she was gone, and both boys were left alone with the twelve-year-old goddess.

"So," Percy said glumly. "We're going to get a ride from your brother, huh?"

Artemis's silver eyes gleamed. "Yes, boy. You see, Bianca di Angelo is not the only one with an annoying brother. It's time for you to meet my irresponsible twin, Apollo."


	10. New Gods, New Faces

Artemis assured them that dawn was coming, but one couldn't tell that from looking at the sky. It was colder and darker and snowier than ever.

The air was completely still as the Hunters stood in a large circle. For obvious reasons, Gohan, Percy and Nico stood several meters away on a small hill, though they could still see. Thalia, as she was a girl, was allowed to stand much closer, while Bianca stood among her new comrades. The circle was wide enough that there was considerable space at the center.

At its center, the body of the dead Hunter laid, covered in a gleaming silver shroud, not unlike the ones from Camp. It almost seemed to shimmer in the bright light.

No one spoke as Artemis took several steps forward from the circle, until she stood at the covered head of the girl.

"Aldrina. You were one of my most faithful servants, and served me loyally for many centuries. You never wavered or faltered in your oath, and died a warrior's death. Now, you rest. May the judges deem you worthy and pass into Elysium, to join our fallen sisters." Then, the body burst into a brilliant fire that danced fifty feet into the sky. Zoe then stepped forward with an arrow in her hand and thrust the tip into the flame. The other Hunters then each repeated this, until finishing with Bianca. In unison, they nocked their arrows and turned towards the cliff. Then, they all released in unison, sending up a rain of orange that for the briefest moment, lit up the dark sky, before fading into the darkness.

"That was more… dramatic than the Camp's version." Percy commented. Gohan frowned as he stroked his chin, as he if he was stroking a beard.

"Percy… I think we've seen something that very few outsiders, and by that I mean boys, have been allowed to see. Times like these… just watch. Don't speak. These girls are already pretty testy. I really don't want to start a fight. I'm too tired for that."

Before the pyre had even faded out, the Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. The two boys stood shivering in the snow (unlike the Hunters, who didn't seem to feel at all uncomfortable), and Artemis stared into the east like she was expecting something. Bianca sat off to one side, talking with Nico. Gohan could tell from his gloomy face that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt. Percy couldn't help thinking how selfish it was of her, abandoning her brother like that. He glanced at Gohan, and shuddered at the numb, angry expression on his face. Percy had a very confident feeling that Gohan was thinking the same thing, although he would never say it out loud. Personally, Percy preferred calm and brooding Gohan to angry Gohan.

Up on the hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely lightless.

"You know, I wonder if they'll notice that the di Angelos and Dr. Thorn are missing yet. With my luck, the only name Mrs. Gottschalk will remember is "Percy Jackson," and then I'll be the subject of a nationwide manhunt... again." Gohan snickered at that, causing Percy to smile in relief.

Thalia and Grover came up and huddled around them, anxious to hear what had happened in their audience with the goddess.

When Percy told them, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."

"How'd they even show up here?" Percy wondered. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."

"And Bianca _joined_ them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoe's fault. That stuck-up, no good—"

"Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" He heaved a big sigh.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

"But she's so... into nature," Grover swooned. "You're nuts," said Thalia. "Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah." Gohan shivered as he pulled his coat tighter.

"I don't think I've ever seen you shiver before." Percy said.

"Try getting shot in the back with three arrows." Gohan countered as he walked down the hill. Finally the sky began to lighten. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so-o-o lazy during the winter."

"You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" Percy asked, having caught up with Gohan.

"For my brother. Yes."

Percy knew the legends about Apollo—or sometimes Helios—driving a big sun chariot across the sky. But Percy also knew that the sun was really a star about a zillion miles away. He'd gotten used to some of the Greek myths being true, but still... he didn't see how Apollo could drive the sun.

"It's not exactly as you think," Artemis said, like she was reading his mind. "Oh, okay." I started to relax. "So, it's not like he'll be pulling up in a—" There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth. "Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks." Gohan cocked his head in confusion.

" _Parks?_

Gohan noticed Percy avert his eyes, and saw that the other kids were doing the same. Gohan covered his eyes. The light and warmth intensified until his coat felt like it was melting off. Then suddenly the light died.

Gohan looked. And was surprised by the sight. It was a car. A bright red car. Well, that's all Gohan could tell. He wasn't a car guy. It was so impressive it glowed. Then he realized it was glowing because the metal was hot. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle.

The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen. He looked a little like Luke, but not really. This guy had the same sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. But it wasn't Luke. This guy was taller, with no scar on his face like Luke's. His smile was brighter and more playful. (Luke didn't do much more than scowl and sneer these days.) The Maserati driver wore jeans and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.

"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."

"He's the sun god," Percy said.

"That's not what I meant." Gohan wasn't sure if he should be disturbed by that comment. After all, wasn't Apollo her nephew? Or, was he her brother? Trying to figure out god-relations were confusing.

"Little sister!" Apollo called. If his teeth were any whiter he could've blinded us without the sun car. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your _little_ sister." "Hey, I was born first." "We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—"

"So what's up?" he interrupted, his eyes falling on the pyre. "Got the girls with you, I see. As well as… what happened here?" he asked, his eyes suddenly full of concern.

Artemis gritted her teeth. "A worthy end for a great hunter. I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, _alone_. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood." Apollo seemed to accept this, as he didn't press the issue further.

"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a _stop everything_ gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned. Apparently they'd met Apollo before. He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.

 _"Green grass breaks through snow. Artemis pleads for my help._ _I am so cool."_

He grinned at everyone, waiting for applause. "That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said. Apollo frowned. "Was it?" "Yes. What about _I am so big-headed_?" "No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself.

Zoe Nightshade turned. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, _There once was a goddess from Sparta_ —"

"I've got it!" Apollo announced. " _I am so awesome_. That's five syllables!" He bowed, looking very pleased with himself.

"And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."

"These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said. "Some of Chiron's campers."

"No problem!" Apollo checked them out. Then, his eyes fell on Gohan.

"Wait a second! You're that Otherworlder, aren't you? The guy who saved Zeus' Master Bolt and beat up Ares?" Gohan nodded. Apollo grinned as he shimmered.

"I've heard all about you! Though, you do look like you've seen better days. Let me give you a pick-me-up" Apollo then placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. A second later, his eyes widened as he felt a sudden surge of warmth and power rush through him. His wounds seemed to knit themselves shut and his cuts vanished. Gohan roared as he thrust his hands in the air.

"WOOOOOO!" A brilliant burst of golden light erupted from Gohan, briefly blinding everyone in the immediate vicinity. When it faded, Gohan was in his SSJ form, shimmering gold as his hair stood up. The Hunters backed up, both wary and surprised. Gohan had a habit of doing that to people.

"COOOOLL!" Nico squealed with wide eyes. Artemis frowned while Apollo laughed.

"You look better! After all, I am God of Medicine, after all. I gotta admit, I dig the look! Everyone wants to copy the Apollo style! I totally feel another Haiku coming on!" The hunters groaned.

"Apollo, please. I must get going." Apollo rolled his eyes as he looked at Thalia.

She blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus's girl, yes?" she nodded.

"Right! Makes you my half sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—"

"Brother," Artemis said. "Seriously. You should get going."

"Oh, right." Then he looked at Percy, and his eyes narrowed. "Percy Jackson?"

"Yeah. I mean... yes, sir."

Apollo studied him, but he didn't say anything, which he found a little creepy.

"Well!" he said at last. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."

Percy looked at the Maserati, which would seat two people max. There were about twenty of them.

"Cool car," Nico said.

"Thanks, kid," Apollo said.

"But how will we all fit?"

"Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose..."

He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. _Chirp, chirp_.

For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses.

"Right," he said. "Everybody in."

Zoe ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."

Zoe recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously. "Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do _not_ call them sweetheart." Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?" "Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business." Apollo frowned, stepping closer to Artemis.

"You think I'm an idiot? I know about that fake version of me you just fought." Artemis gritted her teeth.

"I thought you were going to stop reading people's minds." Apollo shrugged as the Hunters began loading into the car.

"I saw the concern. You think you're the only one who's noticed what's going on lately? I've seen what's happened lately. The arrival of the Otherworlder, the return of the Egyptian gods, Zeus' daughter being resurrected? Believe me, I do not like sharing with those sandy puff-ups." Artemis snorted.

"I have larger concerns than the Egyptians, brother. This Otherworlder… I don't like it. After all the time? This is an omen. I'm going to hunt a dangerous beast. But first, I'm going to check the Pathway." A look of shock came over Apollo's face.

"Have you lost your mind? That place is forbidden, even to us! If… _he_ sees you?! If Zeus finds out!" Artemis shook her head.

"He won't. Have you forgotten who I am?" Apollo chuckled at that.

"Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"

"No, no! I never mess around."

Artemis rolled her eyes, then walked back over to the Hunters. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoe, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."

Zoe straightened. "Yes, my lady."

Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found." She took off and raced into the forest, quickly melting away into the trees.

Then, to Percy's confusion, Gohan started walking away from the van.

"Wait, where are you going? Aren't you coming with us?" Percy asked, racing up to his friend.

"I'll catch up with you guys at Camp. There's something I need to do first." Percy goggled at him.

"What? Seriously?" Gohan nodded, the golden aura around him flickering.

"I got caught off-guard. I need to make sure it doesn't happen again. And there's someone I think can help us." Then, without any warning, Gohan blasted off the ground, rocketing into the sky, quickly fading into the distance, leaving a very baffled Percy.

"Seriously?" Percy roared. Grover and Thalia stared at him.

"Where's he going?" she demanded. Percy threw his arms up in frustration.

"He wouldn't say! He never tells me anything!"

Apollo turned and grinned, jangling the car keys on his finger. "So," he said. "Who wants to drive?"

The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back so they'd be as far away as possible from Apollo and the rest of the highly infectious males, Bianca sat with them, leaving her little brother to hang in the front with Percy and Grover, but Nico didn't seem to mind.

"This is so cool!" Nico said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"

"Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."

"But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. "That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans _think_ about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun... er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human _dreams_ about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"

Nico shook his head. "No." "Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car." "Can I drive?" "No. Too young."

"Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand. "Mm, no," Apollo said. "Too furry." He looked past Percy and focused on Thalia. "Daughter of Zeus!" he said. "Lord of the sky. Perfect." "Oh, no." Thalia shook her head. "No, thanks." "C'mon," Apollo said. "How old are you?" Thalia hesitated. "I don't know."

It was sad, but true. She'd been turned into a tree when she was twelve, but that had been seven years ago. So she should be nineteen, if you went by years. But she still felt like she was twelve, and if you looked at her, she seemed somewhere in between. The best Chiron could figure, she had kept aging while in tree form, but much more slowly.

Apollo tapped his finger to his lips. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen."

"How do you know that?"

"Hey, I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week."

"That's my birthday! December twenty-second."

"Which means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!"

Thalia shifted her feet nervously. "Uh—"

"I know what you're going to say," Apollo said. "You don't deserve an honor like driving the sun chariot."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened to the last kid I trained. You're Zeus's daughter. He's not going to blast _you_ out of the sky. Least I can do since you don't have a piece of the Master Bolt like that Otherworlder kid." Percy mentally moaned. Why, just why, did he have to say that? Thalia looked incredulous.

Apollo laughed good-naturedly. No one else joined him.

Thalia tried to protest, but Apollo was absolutely not going to take "no" for an answer. He hit a button on the dashboard, and a sign popped up along the top of the windshield. Percy had to read it backward (which, for a dyslexic, really isn't that different than reading forward). He was pretty sure it said WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER.

"Take it away!" Apollo told Thalia. "You're gonna be a natural!"

"Speed equals heat," Apollo advised. "So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up."

Thalia gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. She looked like she was going to be sick.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked her.

"Nothing," she said shakily. "N-nothing is wrong."

She pulled back on the wheel. It tilted, and the bus lurched upward so fast Percy fell back and crashed against something soft.

"Ow" Grover said.

"Sorry."

"Slower!" Apollo said.

"Sorry!" Thalia said. "I've got it under control!"

Percy managed to get to his feet. Looking out the window, he saw a smoking ring of trees from the clearing where they'd taken off.

"Thalia," Percy said, "lighten up on the accelerator."

"I've _got_ it, Percy," she said, gritting her teeth. But she kept it floored.

"Loosen up," he told her.

"I'm loose!" Thalia said. She was so stiff she looked like she was made out of plywood.

"We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo said. "Hang a left."

Thalia jerked the wheel and again threw Percy into Grover, who yelped.

"The other left," Apollo suggested.

Percy made the mistake of looking out the window again. They were at airplane height now— so high the sky was starting to look black.

"Ah..." Apollo said, and Percy got the feeling he was forcing himself to sound calm. "A little lower, sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over."

Thalia tilted the wheel. Her face was chalk white, her forehead beaded with sweat. Something was definitely wrong. Percy had never seen her like this. Not even when she tried to steal Gohan's sword.

The bus pitched down and somebody screamed. Maybe it was Percy. Now they were heading straight toward the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to their right. And it was getting hot in the bus.

Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back of the bus, but he started climbing up the rows of seats.

"Take the wheel!" Grover begged him.

"No worries," Apollo said. He looked plenty worried. "She just has to learn to— WHOA!"

Down below them was a little snow-covered New England town. At least, it used to be snow-covered. The snow melted off the trees and the roofs and the lawns. The white steeple on a church turned brown and started to smolder. Little plumes of smoke, like birthday candles, were popping up all over the town. Trees and rooftops were catching fire.

"Pull up!" Percy yelled.

There was a wild light in Thalia's eyes. She yanked back on the wheel. As they zoomed up, he could see through the back window that the fires in the town were being snuffed out by the sudden blast of cold.

"There!" Apollo pointed. "Long Island, dead ahead. Let's slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an expression."

Thalia was thundering toward the coastline of northern Long Island. There was Camp Half-Blood: the valley, the woods, the beach. He could see the dining pavilion and cabins and the amphitheater.

"I'm under control," Thalia muttered. "I'm under control." They were only a few hundred yards away now. "Brake," Apollo said. "I can do this."

"BRAKE!"

Thalia slammed her foot on the brake, and the sun bus pitched forward at a forty-five- degree angle, slamming into the Camp Half-Blood canoe lake with a huge _FLOOOOOOSH_! Steam billowed up, sending several frightened naiads scrambling out of the water with half- woven wicker baskets.

The bus bobbed to the surface, along with a couple of capsized, half-melted canoes.

"Well," said Apollo with a brave smile. "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Let's go see if we boiled anyone important, shall we?"

Meanwhile, back at Westover Hall, the air was silent as the sun shone over the cliff. Already, a new wave of snow was covering the melted and scarred earth. Then, the silence was interrupted by strange sounds, ones of almost a machine-like nature. The sound of branches breaking echoed through the air as a new figure emerged from the forest. From a normal person's perspective, it looked like something out of a movie: a humanoid figure, completely covered in a bright silver metallic armor, with pulsing blue lines all across its body. Its head was covered as well, save for a large X on the front, which served as its visor. A grumble emerged from the figure, an expression of annoyance and frustration. Then, several loud beeps erupted, causing it to look up to see a bright silver orb float down in front of it, hovering right at eye level. The figure held out its arm, allowing for a panel to flip open on its wrist. A cable shot from the orb, plugging itself into the figure's arm. Several new pulsing noises began. The figure shook its head, before finally speaking in a deep, metallic voice.

"Hmph. Unfortunate. Very unfortunate. It's worse than I thought. Continue tracking and recording process 14456A." The cable retracted, rushing back inside the orb. Then, the figure pressed a button on its right arm, causing what looked like several metal balls to emerge, floating in the air alongside the first. They let out a flurry of beeping noises, which the figure returned. Then, they shot into the air, flying in different directions.

Gohan continued to fly, passing over towns and cities until finally, the city of Manhattan came into view. He always marveled at the sheer scope of the city, of course noting the rumbling in the sky from the Empire State Building. But, that wasn't where he was going. He flew over the city, passing over to the river to Brooklyn. Once he saw what he was looking for, he stopped and shot down, landing in, from the outside eye, a large scrapyard full of empty warehouses and scrap. But, he knew better. Gohan strode forward, until he stopped in front of a large set of doors, raising his hand. He paused for a moment, but then knocked, his fist making several loud pounding noises. He shifted, waiting nervously for a moment as his face flushed. Then, he heard a familiar voice.

"Shut up! I've got it!" Then, the door flew open, and Gohan found himself staring at a familiar face, one he hadn't seen in a year. A pretty young girl, with fair skin, deep blue eyes, and caramel blonde hair that was streaked blue today. Those same eyes widened in surprise and recognition.

"Gohan? What the heck are you doing here? And why do you look like shit?" Sadie Kane asked with a baffled expression on her face. Gohan grinned nervously as he ruffled his hair, which was still in SSJ form.

"Ummm… hi Sadie. Can I talk to you quick? I kinda need a favor."


	11. Friends make Mistakes

Percy groaned as he climbed off the bus. His back felt like a donkey had kicked it. "Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yeah," Percy said.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, have you met—"

"I know Chiron," Zoe said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't"—he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking—"like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"

Zoe rolled her eyes, but she figured there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As Bianca di Angelo was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something in her brothers ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico just scowled and turned away.

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at me. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy, for the future is a tricky thing. I'll see you all soon."

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, he hopped back in the bus. "Later, Thalia," he called. "I… wish you all good fortune in the wars to come." Percy and Thalia stared at him, baffled.

He gave them a wicked smile, as if he knew something they didn't. Then he closed the doors and revved the engine. Percy turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When he looked back, the lake was steaming. A red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.

Nico was still looking grumpy. Percy wondered what his sister had told him.

"Who's Chiron?" he asked. "I don't have his figurine."

"Our activities director," Percy said. "He's... well, you'll see.

"If those Hunter girls don't like him," Nico grumbled, "that's good enough for me. Let's go."

The second thing that surprised him about camp was how empty it was.. Just the year-rounders would be here in the winter—the ones who didn't have homes to go to, or would get attacked by monsters too much if they left. But there didn't even seem to be many of them, either.

He spotted Charles Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin stoking the forge outside the camp armory. The Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, from the Hermes cabin, were picking the lock on the camp store. A few kids from the Ares cabin were having a snowball fight with the wood nymphs at the edge of the forest. That was about it. Even Clarisse didn't seem to be around.

The Big House was decorated with strings of red and yellow fireballs that warmed the porch but didn't seem to catch anything on fire. Inside, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled like hot chocolate. Mr. D, the camp director, and Chiron were playing a quiet game of cards in the parlor.

Chiron's brown beard was shaggier for the winter. His curly hair had grown a little longer. He wore a fuzzy sweater with a hoofprint design on it, and he had a blanket on his lap that almost hid his wheelchair completely.

He smiled when he saw them. "Percy! Thalia! Excellent, I see Gohan delivered my message successfully! Ah, and this must be—" "Nico di Angelo," Percy said. "He and his sister are half-bloods." Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then." "Well..."

His smile melted. "What's wrong? And where are Annabeth and Gohan?" "Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a bored voice, "Not another one lost. Especially the otherworlder. What a _tragedy_." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Percy had been trying not to pay attention to Mr. D, but he was kind of hard to ignore in his neon orange leopard-skin warm-up suit and his purple running shoes. (Like Mr. D had ever run a day in his immortal life.) A golden laurel wreath was tilted sideways on his curly black hair, which must've meant he'd won the last hand of cards. Percy was more than familiar with Mr. D's hatred of Gohan. It was frankly for the most annoying of reasons, but still.

"Gohan's fine. He just took off without warning and ran off somewhere. He said that he'd be back soon." Percy snapped in frustration. Chiron let out a sigh of relief while Mr. D rolled his eyes in disappointment.

"Oh well."

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked. "Who else is lost?"

Just then, Grover trotted into the room, grinning like crazy. He had a black eye and red lines on his face that looked like a slap mark. "The Hunters are all moved in!"

Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about." He glanced at Nico. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friend to the den and show him our orientation film."

"But... Oh, right. Yes, sir."

"Orientation film?" Nico asked. "Is it G or PG? 'Cause Bianca is kinda strict—"

"It's PG-13," Grover said.

"Cool!" Nico happily followed him out of the room.

"Now," Chiron said to Thalia and Percy, "perhaps you two should sit down and tell us the whole story." Percy and Thalia then retold the story, even the embarrassing parts.

When they were done, Mr. D snorted.

"No wonder the boy doesn't want to show his face. Too embarrassed." Percy's face flushed. Chiron was a bit more sympathetic.

"You both made mistakes. Fortunately, they didn't become your final mistakes. After all, one of the greatest teachers is mistakes. However, I am more concerned with the description of these… creatures you described. A girl with the power to mimic Aphrodite's abilities and take complete control of men? I've never heard of such a thing."

"Maybe she was a powerful demigod?" Percy suggested.

"I've never seen a child of Aphrodite preform what you described, Percy, not once in all my years of training. Yes, her daughters have some ability with the manipulation of love, and can charm boys. But, not on the scale you described to me. Not even one with the ability to charmspeak. This is… different."

Chiron turned to Mr. D. "We should launch a search for Annabeth immediately."

"I'll go," Thalia and Percy said at the same time.

Mr. D sniffed. "Certainly not!"

Thalia and Percy both started complaining, but Mr. D held up his hand. He had that purplish angry fire in his eyes that usually meant something bad and godly was going to happen if they didn't shut up.

"From what you have told me," Mr. D said, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have, ah, regrettably lost Annie Bell—"

"Annabeth," Percy snapped. She'd gone to camp since she was seven, and still Mr. D pretended not to know her name.

"Yes, yes," he said. "And you procured a small annoying boy to replace her. So I see no point risking further half-bloods on a ridiculous rescue. The possibility is very great that this Annie girl is dead."

Percy wanted to strangle Mr. D. It wasn't fair Zeus had sent him here to dry out as camp director for a hundred years. It was meant to be a punishment for Mr. D's bad behavior on Olympus, but it ended up being a punishment for all of them.

"Annabeth may be alive," Chiron said, but it was obvious he was having trouble sounding upbeat. He'd practically raised Annabeth all those years she was a year-round camper, before she'd given living with her dad and stepmom a second try. "She's very bright. If... if our enemies have her, she will try to play for time. She may even pretend to cooperate."

"That's right," Thalia said. "Luke would want her alive."

"But his partner doesn't." Percy countered, still remembering how terrifying the encounter had been in the Princess Andromeda.

"Luke won't let his partner hurt her. He still cares about her." Thalia countered. That did NOT help Percy's mood in any way.

"In which case" said Mr. D, "I'm afraid she will have to be smart enough to escape on her own." Percy got up from the table.

"Percy." Chiron's tone was full of warning. But of course, Percy ignored him.

"You're glad to lose another camper," Percy said. "You'd like it if we all disappeared!"

Mr. D stifled a yawn. "You have a point?"

"Yeah," Percy growled. "Just because you were sent here as a punishment doesn't mean you have to be a lazy jerk! This is your civilization, too. Maybe you could try helping out a little!"

For a second, there was no sound except the crackle of the fire. Everyone either looked shocked, impressed, or nervous. The light reflected in Mr. D's eyes, giving him a sinister look. He opened his mouth to say something—probably a curse that would blast Percy to smithereens—when Nico burst into the room, followed by Grover.

"SO COOL!" Nico yelled, holding his hands out to Chiron. "You're... you're a centaur!"

Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters."

"And, whoa!" He looked at Mr. D. "You're the wine dude? No way!"

Mr. D turned his eyes away from me and gave Nico a look of loathing. "The wine dude?"

"Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! I've got your figurine."

"My figurine."

"In my game, Mythomagic. And a holofoil card, too! And even though you've only got like five hundred attack points and everybody thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!"

"Ah." Mr. D seemed truly perplexed, which probably saved Percy's life. "Well, that's... gratifying."

"Percy," Chiron said quickly, "you and Thalia go down to the cabins. Inform the campers we'll be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."

"Capture the flag?" Percy asked. "But we don't have enough—"

"It is a tradition," Chiron said. "A friendly match, whenever the Hunters visit."

"Yeah," Thalia muttered. "I bet it's real friendly."

Chiron jerked his head toward Mr. D, who was still frowning as Nico talked about how many defense points all the gods had in his game. "Run along now," Chiron told them.

"Oh, right," Thalia said. "Come on, Percy."

She hauled Percy out of the Big House before Dionysus could remember that he wanted to kill Percy.

"You guys already got Ares on your bad side," Thalia reminded "You need another immortal enemy?"

"Sorry," Percy said. "I couldn't help it. It's just so unfair."

Before they could continue arguing, Gohan shot out of the sky and landed in front of them, rubbing snow off his shoulders. It was very quick, but Percy noticed Gohan slip something inside his pocket.

"Hey guys, what'd I miss?" Percy and Thalia stared at Gohan.

"Where have you been?" Thalia demanded.

"I needed to get information. I got it."

"From who?" Gohan pressed his lips together.

"I can't tell you that."

"Excuse me?" Thalia demanded incredulously.

"I made a promise. I can't break it." Thalia looked at Percy before glaring back at Gohan.

"You believe this?" Percy swallowed nervously.

"Thalia…"

"I bet he has a girlfriend! That's what he was doing! He doesn't give a damn about Annabeth-"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Percy had to jump between the two, keeping them apart.

"STOP!" he screamed, throwing his arms out.

"Please, guys! We can't help Annabeth like this!" He pleaded desperately. Gohan and Thalia glared at each other, sparks dancing across their bodies. Finally, Thalia let out a roar of rage before stalking off, leaving them behind. With her ragged black hair and her black punk clothes, an old wool overcoat wrapped around her, she looked like some kind of huge raven, completely out of place in the white landscape.

Gohan grumbled as he rubbed his hands together.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Later. It's been a bad night for all of us." Percy was stunned by his own maturity. He sounded like his mother.

"Sorry. I got a little… angry."

"I get it. I just though you'd be… angrier. All things considered." Gohan cracked his knuckles, making Percy take a step back.

"I am. But screaming and blasting energy everywhere isn't gonna do anything."

"You should probably go see Chiron and Mr. D." Gohan let out a loud groan.

"Can't I do that tomorrow? I've been through enough today, and I really need a nap." Percy shrugged in response. Gohan paused by the armory and looked out across the valley, toward the top of Half- Blood Hill. Thalia's pine tree was still there, the Golden Fleece glittering in its lowest branch. The tree's magic still protected the borders of camp, but it no longer used Thalia's spirit for power.

"This sucks. Annabeth's gone… and I couldn't help me. Me! ME! Sometimes I wish..."

"We'll get Annabeth back," Percy promised. "I just don't know how yet."

"Yeah. Normally, Annabeth's the one who comes up with the plan." Percy was silent.

"Well… looks like its up to us now. You're really smart. If anyone can save her, you can." Gohan frowned as he looked at Percy, both boys silent as the wind rustled around them.

"Thanks, I really needed that."

Over at the basketball court, a few of the Hunters were shooting hoops. One of them was arguing with a guy from the Ares cabin. The Ares kid had his hand on his sword and the Hunter girl looked like she was going to exchange her basketball for a bow and arrow any second.

"That looks like it won't end well." Gohan grinned.

"Leave it to me." Then, a bright yellow ball appeared in Gohan's hand. He cocked it back, like a pitcher about to hurl a baseball, and hurled it into the air. It was completely harmless, of course. Far more bark than bite. The ball exploded over the court, releasing a flash of dancing lights, like fireworks. The hunters and Ares camper and stopped cold, looking up the hill to see Gohan, a cross expression on his face.

"HEY! Don't make me come down there!" The camper and Hunters were silent for a moment, and then the Ares camper let out a series of explicative words and stalked off.

"Very diplomatic." Percy joked.

"They've all seen what I can do. Sometimes, Percy, the best warriors are the ones who end fights, not start them."

"Thanks, Yoda." Percy joked. AS they walked, Percy filled Gohan in on what had happened after she left.

"So, capture the flag, huh? Sounds fun!" Percy rolled his eyes.

"I knew you'd say that. Try not to bash the Hunters, huh? You're not still mad at them, are you?" Gohan rolled his eyes.

"Why would I be mad?"

"Ummm… Bianca? I know that you have… issues with that sort of thing."

"Percy, please don't try to be my shrink." Percy sighed, nodding his head.

"I don't suppose you can tell me where you were." Gohan had a pained expression on his face.

"Percy, I wish I could tell you. I really do. But… I made the vow, if you know what I mean." Percy blinked in surprise. He realized exactly what Gohan was referring to: a vow on the River Styx, the most sacred vow one could make.

"Seriously?" he nodded.

"So, please drop it." Percy shifted nervously, before quickly changing the subject.

"Sorry. So, what do you think about capture the flag?" he asked

"You should be team captain."

"Me?" Percy was surprised, to say the least.

"Yeah, why not? You're a son of Poseidon, and done a few heroic deeds. You're not exactly the scared little kid who I met two years ago." Percy blushed in embarrassment.

"How about you? You should be captain." Now it was Gohan's turn to look surprised.

"Me? But I'm not even a demigod!" Percy shook his head.

"Yeah, but look at all the cool things you can do! You're super smart, like it or not. You're the guy who beat Ares, and saved us from the cyclops! Plus, you can actually read. Come on, you do it." Gohan pondered on that for a moment.

"What about Thalia? Maybe we should ask her what she thinks."

"You're joking. Seriously, you have to be. Thalia _hates_ you." Gohan shrugged.

"We should still talk to her. Maybe we three could be co captains. Like a Roman Triumvirate." Percy grumbled.

"I really hate that you can pronounce that."

The cabins were the weirdest collection of buildings you've ever seen. Zeus and Hera's big white-columned buildings, Cabins One and Two, stood in the middle, with five gods' cabins on the left and five goddesses' cabins on the right, so they all made a U around the central green and the barbecue hearth.

The two made the rounds, telling everybody about capture the flag. Percy woke up some Ares kid from his midday nap, since Gohan wouldn't go inside the Ares cabin, and he yelled at them to go away.

When Percy asked him where Clarisse was he said, "Went on a quest for Chiron. Top secret!"

"Is she okay?"

"Haven't heard from her in a month. She's missing in action. Like your butt's gonna be if you don't get outta here!"

Percy decided to let him go back to sleep.

Finally, Percy got to Cabin Three, the cabin of Poseidon. It was a low gray building hewn from sea stone, with shells and coral fossils imprinted in the rock. Suddenly, Gohan had an awkward expression on his face.

"What?"

"I gotta admit, I sure missed having you around. It can get lonely sometimes."

"Please tell me you didn't wreck the place." Gohan grinned nervously.

"Ummm… I forgot to clean up today."

"Oh come on, how bad could it b-GGGAAAAAHHHHHH!" Percy choked in horror as he stared at his cabin. To say it was a mess was an understatement. Gohan's used clothes were splayed all over the floor, as well as a pile of books puled Gohan's bed around.

"Dude!"

"Sorry."

"DUDE!"

"My mom was a neat freak, okay? When you grow up with that, you tend to lazy up a bit when you're on your own. I didn't know you were gonna show up today!"

Percy took off my wristwatch and activated the shield. It creaked noisily as it spiraled out. Gohan stared at it in shock.

"I did that?" he asked, stunned.

"Yeah. It saved my life a few times. Frankly, I'm shocked it managed to stand up to you."

The dent kept the shield from opening all the way, so it looked like a pizza with two slices missing. The beautiful metal pictures that my brother had crafted were all banged up. In the picture of Percy, Gohan and Annabeth fighting the Hydra, it looked like a meteor had made a crater in my head. Percy hung the shield on its hook, next to the Minotaur horn, but it was painful to look at now. Maybe Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin could fix it for him. He was the best armorsmith in the camp. He'd ask him at dinner.

Percy sighed as he took Annabeth's baseball cap out of his backpack and set it on his nightstand.

Gohan was silent, looking at the hat. It was like a silent taunt, a cruel reminder of their lost friend

"I didn't know you found that." Percy sighed.

"I'll give it to her when I find her." He blinked in surprise when he felt Gohan's hand on his shoulder. He turned to see a firm, confident expression on Gohan's face.

"No. When _we_ find her."


	12. Cabin Renovations and Old Friends

The boys were pretty miserable at dinner that night. Not that it was because the food was bad. Far from it. That was excellent as usual. One can't go wrong with barbecue, pizza, and never-empty soda goblets.

Thalia sat alone at the Zeus table, but they couldn't sit together. Camp rules. Technically, Gohan shouldn't have sat at Percy's table. But, he wasn't a demigod. He was an Otherworlder. So technically, Gohan was free to sit at any table he wanted. Thus, he mainly sat with Percy. At least the Hephaestus, Ares, and Hermes cabins had a few people each. Nico sat with the Stoll brothers, since new campers always got stuck in the Hermes cabin if their Olympian parent was unknown. The Stoll brothers seemed to be trying to convince Nico that poker was a much better game than Mythomagic.

Even through he was in a bad mood, Gohan never ignored his stomach, proceeding to inhale a massive amount of food. Percy groaned as he watched Gohan eat.

"I can't get used to this. I… just can't." he shook his head, looking wistfully at the pizza in his hand. Gohan shrugged, letting out a series of muffled noises, as his mouth was full at that moment.

"M're mot hengry?"

"Don't do that either!"

The torches and braziers kept the outdoor pavilion warm. The only table that really seemed to be having a good time was the Artemis table. The Hunters drank and ate and laughed like one big happy family. Zoe sat at the head like she was the mama. She didn't laugh as much as the others, but she did smile from time to time. Her silver lieutenant's band glittered in the dark braids of her hair. Bianca di Angelo seemed to be having a great time as well. She was trying to learn how to arm wrestle from the big girl who'd picked a fight with the Ares kid on the basketball court. The bigger girl was beating her every time, but Bianca didn't seem to mind. The only thing that made Percy laugh was the disgusted reactions that the Hunters gave Gohan when they first saw him began to eat, such as inhaling an entire full rack of ribs and spit out bones.

"Disgusting." One of them spat. Gohan response by drinking an entire gallon of soda in one gulp.

"You know, I should enter you in a food eating contest. We could make a ton of money."

"Mney?"

When they'd finished eating, Chiron made the customary toast to the gods and formally welcomed the Hunters of Artemis. The clapping was pretty halfhearted. Then he announced the "good will" capture-the-flag game for tomorrow night, which got a lot better reception.

Afterward, they all trailed back to their cabins for an early, winter lights out. Percy and Gohan managed to catch up with Thalia and suggest their idea for Capture the Flag. Predictably, Thalia was less than thrilled with the idea of having a trio of captains, but agreed to it anyway. Percy suspected that this was due to her being as tired as they were, and in no mood for an argument. When the boys got back to the cabin, however, something had clearly changed while they were at dinner. It was impossible to miss, to say the least.

At the back of the cabin was now a big basin of gray sea rock, with a spout like the head of a fish carved in stone. Out of its mouth burst a stream of water, a saltwater spring that trickled into the pool. The water must've been hot, because it sent mist into the cold winter air like a sauna. It made the room feel warm and summery, fresh with the smell of the sea.

"Yay! It's a hot tub!" Gohan grinned.

"No, it's not!"

Percy stepped up to the pool, not even bothering to respond to Gohan's statement. Partly because he wouldn't mind having those things either. As he looked into the water, he suddenly knew it could only be a gift from Poseidon.

He looked into the water and said, "Thanks, Dad."

The surface rippled. At the bottom of the pool, coins shimmered—a dozen or so golden drachma. He realized what the fountain was for. It was a reminder to keep in touch with his family.

"Hey Gohan, can I ask a favor?

"Sure."

"Mind making me a light? I need to make a call." Gohan frowned, but held his hand up. A bright yellow ki ball shot up from his hand, casting a dazzle of light to fill the room. He focused the ball to float over the pool, casting a rainbow in the mist. Then he fished a coin out of the hot water.

"Iris, O Goddess of the Rainbow," Percy said, "accept my offering."

Percy tossed a coin into the mist and it disappeared.

"So, who are you gonna contact? Your mom?" Gohan asked, causing Percy to realize that he didn't know who to contact first. Should he message his mom? That would've been the "good son" thing to do, but she wouldn't be worried about him yet.

"Nah. She's used to me disappearing for days or weeks at a time."

Percy hesitated. Then he made up his mind.

"Show me Tyson," Percy requested. "At the forges of the Cyclopes."

The mist shimmered, and the image of his half brother appeared. He was surrounded in fire, which would've been a problem if he weren't a Cyclops. He was bent over an anvil, hammering a red-hot sword blade. Sparks flew and flames swirled around his body. There was a marble-framed window behind him, and it looked out onto dark blue water—the bottom of the ocean.

"Okay, that's pretty cool." Gohan stared, his eyes wide as dinner plates, and full of awe.

He turned, and his one enormous eye widened. His face broke into a crooked yellow grin. "Percy!"

He dropped the sword blade and ran at Percy, trying to give him a hug. The vision blurred and Percy instinctively lurched back. "Tyson, it's an Iris-message. I'm not really here."

"Oh." He came back into view, looking embarrassed. "Oh, I knew that. Yes."

"Hi Tyson! Long time no see!" Gohan waved from over Percy's shoulder, causing him to roll his eyes.

"Gohan says hi." Tyson beamed.

"Yaayyy! Gohan! Shiny golden man! Tell him I am making him his shield in my free time!" Percy gave Gohan an accusatory glare.

"You asked him to make a shield for you?"

"What? You have one! Er… had." Percy glared at Gohan.

"What? He seems more than happy to do it!" Percy wanted to smack Gohan, but knowing what that would do to his hand, simply turned back to Tyson.

"So… how are you?"

His eye lit up. "Love the job! Look!" He picked up the hot sword blade with his bare hands. "I made this!"

"That's really cool." "I wrote my name on it. Right there." "Awesome.

"Say, you think you could make me one?" Gohan butted in. Percy gave him a scathing glare.

"You already have a sword!"

"I know, but maybe I could dual wield!"

"You haven't even master one handed combat yet!" Percy stopped himself, pressed his hand to his temple in frustration, before turning back to Tyson.

"Listen, do you talk to Dad much?" Tyson's smile faded. "Not much. Daddy is busy. He is worried about the war." "What do you mean?"

Tyson sighed. He stuck the sword blade out the window, where it made a cloud of boiling bubbles.

"Old sea spirits making trouble. Aigaios. Oceanus. Those guys."

"Who is he talking about?" Gohan whispered. "He's talking about the immortals who ruled the oceans back in the days of the Titans. Before the Olympians, like my dad, took over."

"Oh. Okay. I really need to catch up on my Greek mythology."

"I though Annabeth gave you a book!"

"Yeah... I've been busy."

Tyson perked up, at the mention of Annabeth's name. "Annabeth! Is she there?"

"Oh, well..." Percy and Gohan winched at the mention of Annabeth's name. Tyson thought Annabeth was just about the coolest thing since peanut butter (and he seriously loved peanut butter), even though Annabeth had initially been very cold to him due to a grudge against Cyclopses. Percy didn't have the heart to tell him she was missing. He'd start crying so bad he'd probably put out his fires. "Well, no... she's not here right now."

"Tell her hello!" He beamed. "Hello to Annabeth!" "Okay

"We'll do that." "And, Percy, don't worry about the bad boat. It is going away." "What do you mean?" "Panama Canal! Very far away."

"Panama Canal?" Gohan asked

"It's far. Central America." Percy answered.

He frowned. Why would Luke take his demon-infested cruise ship all the way down there? The last time they'd seen him, he'd been cruising along the East Coast, recruiting half- bloods into his monstrous army.

Tyson shook his head sadly. "We are arming the mermaids. They need a thousand more swords by tomorrow." He looked at his sword blade and sighed. "Old spirits are protecting the bad boat."

"The _Princess Andromeda_?" Percy said. "Luke's boat?" "Yes. They make it hard to find. Protect it from Daddy's storms. Otherwise he would smash it." "Smashing it would be good." Gohan chimed in.

"All right," Percy said, not feeling reassured. Then, a deep voice bellowed something they couldn't make out. Tyson flinched. "Got to get back to work. Boss will be mad! Good luck!"

"Okay, tell Dad—"

But before Percy could finish, the image faded. Gohan's ki ball burst, fizzing away into nothing.

"Well, that was helpful." Percy shook his head in frustration. Then, he was snapped out of his musings by a loud splash, whirling to see Gohan sitting in the pool in his underwear, a look of delight on his face as he stretched back.

"Ahhhhhhh… so warm. This is nice!"

"GET OUT OF THERE!"

One wouldn't think that one's day could get even worse if they were already asleep. Percy, unfortunately, was proven wrong. He had a nightmare. And by the gods, it was a doozy.

Annabeth was on a dark hillside, shrouded in fog. It almost seemed like the Underworld, because Percy immediately felt claustrophobic and he couldn't see the sky above—just a close, heavy darkness, like being in a cave. However, Percy was far more concerned with the predicament she was in. Her hands were tied behind her back, and was being forced along by their old friends, Amortentia and Abigail. To make things worse, Annabeth looked like she had been in a fight, and lost. She grunted as she struggled up the hill. Old broken Greek columns of black marble were scattered around, as though something had blasted a huge building to rums. Annabeth grunted as she stumbled, almost falling back down the hill.

"Keep moving. Or I'll stick a knife in your back." Abigail ordered, clearly enjoying herself.

"You know, I'd be able to navigate this much easier if my hands were free." Abigail kicked her in the back, sending her tumbling face-forward into the crest of the hill. Amortentia let out a peal of giggling laughter as she kicked Annabeth in the stomach, causing her to grunt in pain.

"Stupid! Little! Bitch! You! Think! You're! Pretty?! YOU'RE NOT! She screamed as she kicked Annabeth over and over. Annabeth let out a gasp as she curled up, clenching her teeth.

"ENOUGH!" Abigail pulled Amortentia back, pushing her away.

"You forget they want her alive?" Amortentia snorted in annoyance. Annabeth groaned as she sat up, spitting out a glob of blood.

"So… why did you bring me here?" The girls smiled in response.

"I told them to." a new voice cut in, causing Annabeth to whirl and see a figure standing in front of her, covered in a cloak. Percy's blood went cold. It was him. Luke's partner. The figure from the ship. Annabeth seemed to shrink back in fear, actually trembling. Percy couldn't blame her. He remembered full well what it was like to be in that… thing's presence.

"Annabeth Chase. We meet again. I can't tell you how long I've been looking forward to this." It announced in a deep, commanding voice. She seemed to shiver.

"You." She whispered softly.

"Are you afraid? Good. You should be."

"And as for the reason you're here? Right over there." He pointed, looking like the Ghost of Christmas Future.

She followed his finger and gasped. There was Luke. And he was in pain.

He was crumpled on the rocky ground, trying to rise. The blackness seemed to be thicker around him, fog swirling hungrily. His clothes were in tatters and his face was scratched and drenched with sweat,

"Annabeth!" he called. "Help me! Please!"

She stumbled forward, ignoring everyone else.

Percy tried to cry out: _He's a traitor! Don't trust him_!

But his voice didn't work in the dream.

Annabeth had tears in her eyes. She reached down like she wanted to touch Luke's face, but at the last second she hesitated.

"What happened?" she asked. She whirled to look at the three, her eyes blazing.

"What did you do to him? I thought you were partners!"

"They put me here," Luke groaned. "Please. It's killing me."

Percy couldn't see what was wrong with him. He seemed to be struggling against some invisible curse, as though the fog were squeezing him to death.

"You want to free him? Take it yourself."

"Why should I trust any of you?" Annabeth asked. Her voice was filled with hurt.

"You shouldn't," Luke said. "I've been terrible to you. But if you don't help me, I'll die."

 _Let him die_ , Percy wanted to scream. Luke had tried to kill everyone in cold blood too many times. He didn't deserve anything from Annabeth.

Then the darkness above Luke began to crumble, like a cavern roof in an earthquake. Huge chunks of black rock began falling.

Annabeth had a conflicted look on her face. After what seemed like seconds, her face morphed into one of resolve, before whirling back to the trio.

"Free me!" she roared, holding up her hands. Abigail smiled as she notched an arrow and fired, slicing clean through Annabeth's bonds. She rushed in just as a crack appeared, and the whole ceiling dropped. She held it somehow—tons of rock. She kept it from collapsing on her and Luke just with her own strength. It was impossible. She shouldn't have been able to do that.

Luke rolled free, gasping. "Thanks," he managed.

"Help me hold it," Annabeth groaned.

Luke caught his breath. His face was covered in grime and sweat. He rose unsteadily as the air filled with laughter from the observing trio.

"I knew we could count on you." He began to walk away as the trembling blackness threatened to crush Annabeth. Amortentia giggled as she pranced up to Luke and wrapped her hands around his neck.

"Well done, you sneaky little demigod! Daddy's gonna be so pleased with you!"

"HELP ME!" Annabeth pleaded,

"Oh, don't worry," Luke said, turning back to look at her. "Your help is on the way. It's all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die."

The ceiling of darkness began to crumble again, pushing Annabeth against the ground. The cloaked figure chuckled as he walked over to her, bending down to look at her face. Annabeth looked up, and a look of immense horror came across her face. Percy couldn't tell what she was seeing, but it must have been a very disturbing image.

"So… how does it feel to be outsmarted for once?"

"Fuck off!" Annabeth spat. He grinned.

"I am so looking forward to all the things I have in store for you."

Percy sat bolt upright in bed, clawing at the sheets. There was no sound in my cabin except the gurgle of the saltwater spring and Gohan's snores. The clock on his nightstand read just after midnight.

Only a dream, but Percy was sure of two things: Annabeth was in terrible danger. And Luke was responsible.


	13. Brooding and Regret

"Hey! Gohan! Wake up!" Gohan let out a shocked scream as he shot up.

"Wassit!" he blinked several times before realizing that Percy was in front of him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, seeing the expression on Percy's face.

"I just had a dream. It was about Annabeth." Gohan's face immediately became hard, his eyes darkened.

"Tell me." When Percy finished, Gohan was silent, mulling over Percy's words.

"Luke. I should have torn him to shreds. Any idea where Annabeth is?" Percy shook his head.

"It looked like some type of cave. I couldn't see much besides that." Gohan clamped his hands together in frustration. He hated this. He probably would have mulled on it longer if the conch horn hadn't blown, signaling breakfast. And causing his stomach to take over.

"Food!" A second later, Percy was staring at a Gohan shaped- cloud.

"Of course." He rolled his eyes.

After breakfast, Gohan stormed off with several dummies, dragging them to an outcrop that overlooked the sea. Frankly, Gohan was pissed, and felt that he really needed to be left alone. As he looked at the rising sun, he pulled out Ascension. It gleamed and sparked in the sunlight. Frankly, it was still a stunning thought to him that the sun in this world was a chariot driven by a god. Krillin would have thought that was crazy and hilarious. Bulma would have immediately trying to explain the scientific reasons why that was impossible. His dad and Vegeta would have wondered if they could still throw villians at it. Probably would have wrecked Apollo's car. Gohan couldn't help but laugh, a brief distraction from the anger and frustration he felt.

The sword felt different in his hands from the others he had held. Gohan wasn't a sword person, and had never really used one in his world besides the one Piccolo had given him the six months he had wandered in the wilds. Frankly, no one in the Z Fighters had used a sword except for Future Trunks, and even he had abandoned using it after arriving in their world. Using fists and ki blasts were different than swords and shield. Different strategies, stances, positions.

But the principles weren't too different. Fight and defend. And sometimes the two could mix to create something now. The sword seemed alive in his hands somehow—as if something inside it were simultaneously focusing his strength and guiding his thrusts and parries.

His father and Piccolo had taught him how to focus his ki, and manipulate the elements around him. However, his senses seemed to get getting… muddy. Like, it was getting harder to manipulate ki than before. But, he forgot that for the moment as he continued to swing. The dummy was no match for him, being torn to shreds. The blade seemed to almost sing with the currents of the air surrounding him, twisting around him.

Gohan poured his anger and frustration into his blows. He was mad. Mad that he had made such a careless mistake. Mad that he had been forced to attack the people he considered his friends. Mad that Annabeth was gone, and now in Luke's treacherous hands.

He no longer noticed the sweat running down her face, or the fatigue weighting his arms and legs. Gohan should have been confused about why he was getting tired so easily from a bit of sword training, but all he could focus on was the motion of his body and the sword, moving as one. Thrusting and parrying, wheeling and weaving, until the distinction blurred between weapon and wielder.

"Not bad," Thalia said.

The sound of Thalia's voice jerked him out of his trance. Turning to look at her, he stumbled slightly, his slash continuing and slicing clean through a nearby rock. It toppled off the cliff, tumbling down the cliff into the ocean with a loud splash. As Gohan nervously looked down, he saw several nayiads poke their heads up from the widening ripples and look up at him with annoyed expressions, clearly pissed that he had just disrupted whatever they had been doing at the time.

"Sorry!" Gohan waved down below before glaring at Thalia.

"Can I help you with something? Or do you want to pick another fight?" Thalia rolled her eyes.

"What, we can't chat? I'm hurt."

"Chat? All you done since we've met is insult me, belittle me, start fights with me, and try to steal my sword!" Thalia rolled her eyes. Gohan caught this, and it did not help his mood.

"What? WHAT? What is your problem with me?" Thalia scoffed.

"You know what? Fine. My problem with you? You are an egotistical, overconfident, brooding, airhead who thinks that just because he's super-powerful and has every girl fawning over him, you can do anything you want! And no one does anything about it! What does Annabeth see in a person like you?" Thalia knew immediately that she had just hit a nerve, given the expression on Gohan's face.

"What did you just say?"

"You. Heard. Me. You're nothing but trouble for Annabeth, look what's already happened to her! She doesn't need a poser like you!" Gohan snarled as he raised his sword. A grin came across Thalia's face as her spear seemed to materialize in her hands.

"Finally. Let's see those moves of yours up close." Then, she thrust at Gohan. Instinctively, he ducked as he swung upwards, deflecting Thalia's spear. A smile danced across Talia's face as she countered and parried, forcing Gohan to stumble back towards the cliff. A determined look came over his face as his sword's vibrating intensified. Gohan then trust forward, grinning with delight at the look of surprise on Thalia's face as she was forced back. Gohan let the blade weave in his hand, countering Thalia's spear. He couldn't help but grin, his heart pumping. Sparks danced in the air between them as the air heated. Thalia took one step back, then another, sweat rolling down her face. Then, she jumped back and fired off a bright bolt of lightning from her spear. Gohan jumped, allowing the lightning to pass beneath him, though his hair was completely standing on end. It looked like Vegeta's. Then, as Thalia thrust at him, he spun out of the way and trapped her spear arm under his free arm. He then flipped her over his head, slamming her on the ground. The breath rushed out of her body as Gohan jumped in front of her and pointed his sword. The air was silent, save for their heavy breathing as they looked at each other. Finally, Gohan lowered his sword and held out his hand. Thalia stared at him in surprise, but reached out and took it… and then flipped Gohan over her head, sending him flying off the cliff. A second later, Thalia heard a loud splash, and smiled.

Meanwhile, Percy and Grover sat in the meadow watching the satyrs chase the wood nymphs through the snow. The nymphs had promised to kiss the satyrs if they got caught, but they hardly ever did. Usually the nymph would let the satyr get up a full head of steam, then she'd turn into a snow-covered tree and the poor satyr would slam into it headfirst and get a pile of snow dumped on him.

When Percy told Grover about his nightmare, he started twirling his finger in his shaggy leg fur. "A cave ceiling collapsed on her?" he asked. "Yeah. What the heck does that mean?" Grover shook his head. "I don't know. But after what Zoe dreamed—"

"Whoa. What do you mean? Zoe had a dream like that?"

"I... I don't know, exactly. About three in the morning she came to the Big House and demanded to talk to Chiron. She looked really panicked."

"Wait, how do you know this?" Grover blushed. "I was sort of camped outside the Artemis cabin." "What for?" "Just to be, you know, near them." "You're a stalker with hooves." Percy countered with a grin.

"I am not! Anyway, I followed her to the Big House and hid in a bush and watched the whole thing. She got real upset when Argus wouldn't let her in. It was kind of a dangerous scene.

"What did she say?" Percy asked.

Grover grimaced. "Well, she starts talking really old-fashioned when she gets upset, so it was kind of hard to understand. But something about Artemis being in trouble and needing the Hunters. And then she called Argus a boil-brained lout... I think that's a bad thing. And then he called her—"

"Whoa, wait. How could Artemis be in trouble?" "I... well, finally Chiron came out in his pajamas and his horse tail in curlers and—" "He wears curlers in his tail?" Grover covered his mouth. "Sorry," Percy said. "Go on."

"Well, Zoe said she needed permission to leave camp immediately. Chiron refused. He reminded Zoe that the Hunters were supposed to stay here until they received orders from Artemis. And she said..." Grover gulped. "She said 'How are we to get orders from Artemis if Artemis is lost?'"

"What do you mean lost? Like she needs directions?"

"No. I think she meant gone. Taken. Kidnapped."

" _Kidnapped_?" Percy tried to get my mind around that idea. "How would you kidnap an immortal goddess? Is that even possible?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, it happened to Persephone."

"But she was like, the goddess of _flowers_."

Grover looked offended. "Springtime."

"Whatever. Artemis is a lot more powerful than that. Who could kidnap her? And why?"

Grover shook his head miserably. "I don't know. Kronos?"

"He can't be that powerful already. Can he?"

The last time we'd seen Kronos, he'd been in tiny pieces. Well... they hadn't actually _seen_ him. Thousands of years ago, after the big Titan—God war, the gods had sliced him to bits with his own scythe and scattered his remains in Tartarus, which is like the gods' bottomless recycling bin for their enemies. Two summers ago, Kronos had tricked Percy and his companions to the very edge of the pit and almost pulled them in. Then last summer, on board Luke's demon cruise ship, they'd seen a golden coffin, where Luke claimed he was summoning the Titan Lord out of the abyss, bit by bit, every time someone new joined their cause. Kronos could influence people with dreams and trick them, but he didn't see how Kronos could physically overcome Artemis if he was still like a pile of evil bark mulch.

"I don't know," Grover said. "I think somebody would know if Kronos had re-formed. The gods would be more nervous. But still, it's weird, you having a nightmare the same night as Zoe. It's almost like—"

"They're connected," Percy said. Before they could continue, they heard a loud scream, followed by a loud splash.

"What the?" Percy frowned in confusion. A minute later, he saw his answer, as Gohan emerged from the ocean and trodded up to them, soaking wet. Several nymphs waved at Gohan and giggled at his current state. Gohan blinked at them, a baffled expression on his face.

"Thalia threw me off the cliff after I beat her in a swordfight." Percy groaned.

"Of course she did." Grover snorted in amusement.

Over in the frozen meadow, a satyr skidded on his hooves as he chased after a redheaded tree nymph. She giggled and held out her arms as he ran toward her. _Pop_! She turned into a Scotch pine and he kissed the trunk at top speed,

"That's love for you." Grover said amusingly. Percy and Gohan goggled at him.

"Man, girls are confusing."

"You don't have to tell me." Then, Gohan grunted as he clenched his fists together. He started to glow, causing the air to heat up around him. Steam rose from Gohan's clothes as they dried off, sighing in relief.

"Show-off." Percy muttered. He then filled Gohan in on Grover's new information about Zoe. Gohan, of course, had the same reaction Percy had.

"Who the heck could kidnap a goddess?"

"Another god, Kronos…"

"You?" Grover interrupted. Percy gave Grover a scathing glare.

"Grover!" But, Gohan shook his head.

"He's right, technically. I could beat Artemis in a fight if I wanted to."

"She kicked your ass." Percy joked with a grin.

"I wasn't trying. If I was in my ascended state, I would have won easily." Gohan countered. He pondered over this new information.

"We've got to talk to Zoe," he said. Grover snorted.

"More like get an arrow stuck in your face."

"Grover!"

"Um, before you do..." Grover took something out of his coat pocket. It was a three- fold display like a travel brochure. "You remember what you said—about how it was weird the Hunters just happened to show up at Westover Hall? I think they might've been scouting us."

"Scouting us? What do you mean?"

He gave Percy the brochure. It was about the Hunters of Artemis. The front read, A WISE CHOICE FOR YOUR FUTURE! Inside were pictures of young maidens doing hunter stuff, chasing monsters, shooting bows. There were captions like: HEALTH BENEFITS: IMMORTALITY AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU! and A BOY-FREE TOMORROW!

"I found that in Annabeth's backpack," Grover said. Percy stared at him, while Gohan simply crossed his arms and glared. "I don't understand." "Well, it seems to me... maybe Annabeth was thinking about joining." Then, Percy blinked in surprise, as the brochure had vanished from his hand and was now being studied by Gohan.

Percy was nervous at Gohan's reaction when he looked at the brochure. He had a… calm expression on his face. Almost like the expression of someone who was trying to hide his tell in a game of poker. Not that Percy had ever played, but he had seen a few games that Smelly Gabe had done back then.

"Gohan… are you okay?" Percy visibly winched when Gohan closed his fist around the brochure, which then burst into ashes.

"I'm. Fine." Gohan stalked off, leaving Grover and Percy staring after him.

"He'll be okay. He's had a bad day." Grover gave Percy a blank look.

"Stop it!"

Gohan spent the rest of the afternoon darting across the climbing wall. For him, it was a way to burn out his frustration. Plus, he was trying to beat his previous record of climbing the wall, 1 second and 6 milliseconds. Gohan had already shattered the climbing wall record when he had first arrived(even with his amnesia), though no one really counted his time as the official record, since Gohan was part-alien and had far superior abilities to even the demigods. Surprisingly, Annabeth of all people had been the one to claim that Gohan's record was invalid. It seemed so fickle now.

Gohan sprang up the wall, bouncing off one ledge to the next, until landing on the top. To be a bit of a showoff, he landed on his right hand, stiff as a board.

"How'd I do that time?" Gohan yelled down at Beckendorf, who was looking up at Gohan and holding what looked like a large gold stopwatch with gizmos sticking out of the sides. Beckendorf gave him an annoyed look.

"Uhh… one second five milliseconds? I think?"

"You think?" Beckendorf snorted, shaking his head in frustration.

"Once again, I don't know! You're so fast that it can't record your time exactly! Why do you even do this?" Gohan rolled his eyes before pushing off, flipping through the air and landing in front of the taller, burly boy.

"So, how's that thing I asked you for going?" Beckendorf grinned.

"That's the other reason I'm here. Let me show you." Gohan followed Beckendorf up to the forge. The forge itself was largely empty, as the rest of Beckendorf's cabinmates were away. Yet, heat still radiated from the cabin and smoke rose from the top, giving off the impression of many more working than there actually wore.

"I'm not gonna lie, this is a bit tricky to make. You still sure you want to do this?" Gohan nodded.

"I am. I'm going to be here for awhile, it seems. I think I need to upgrade if I want to keep surviving." Beckendorf laughed at that.

"I remember what you were like in that… ascended state."

"Super Saiyan 2."

"Right, that. You wiped out that entire fleet of killer birds by yourself. Birds the rest of us couldn't even dent. You defeated Ares in battle. Actually, more like demolished him. Someone like you doesn't need armor. Wouldn't it just slow you down?" Gohan shook his head.

"I wear heavy things all the time. It's just part of my training. But, it's more than that at the same time. If I'm the hero, I might as well look the part." Beckendorf nodded.

"Okay, I guess. So, you want a fully-body set, right?"

"Yeah. Top to bottom. I'm still working on the breastplate, steady progress. It'll take a few months longer to finish the set in the best quality." Beckendorf gestured towards a large table. On it shone a brilliant breastplate. It seemed to glimmer in the flickering light of the forge.

"Cool! I like!" Gohan grinned.

"Stand still." Beckendorf held the plate up against Gohan's chest, making several measurements.

"I was hoping you could make this symbol in the center." Gohan pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Beckendorf.

悟

"What does this mean?" Beckendorf asked with a curious expression on his face.

"Go." Beckendorf nodded, placing the symbol inside his pocket.

"Remind me to ask you more about this world of yours some time. Sounds like quite the place."

"You'd like Bulma. She runs this huge company that makes new things all the time. If I ever get back, I'll toss her your name." Beckendorf snorted.

"So, is it true that Thalia threw you off a cliff?" When Gohan nodded, Beckendorf roared with laughter.

"Stop it!"

"I'm sorry! But… that is hilarious! You sure have a way with the ladies, dude."

"You mean that they keep trying to stab me with sharp objects? Then sure. I swear, the craziness of girls is something that doesn't change on any Earth. What the heck is their problem?" Beckendorf rolled his eyes at that.

"Women are a mysterious bunch, Gohan. Fun fact, if they try to hurt you, it's because they like you. Like, _like_ you." Gohan cocked his head in confusion.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, dude. And we're demigods. So it's a bit more violent. Except for the Aphrodite campers. They'll just flirt with you and pour on the magic charms." Gohan rolled his eyes.

"That… actually explains a lot. Why Annabeth…" Beckendorf paused, an awkward silence between the two.

"Yeah, I heard about that. Sorry to hear it, I've known her for a heck of a long time. She's one hell of a camper." Beckendorf paused at the expression on the young saiyan's face.

"Whoa, I didn't mean it like that. She's definitely still alive. No question. If there's one person in this camp who can survive on her own, its Annabeth. I'm sure she'll make it back." Then, to Gohan's surprise he reached out and paced a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Look, Gohan. I know it's not my place to say this, but… look, there's a reason most demigods don't have really long life-spans. So… holding things back isn't the best thing, if you know what I mean. You gotta say what you feel. You get it?" Gohan cocked his head in silence as he looked at Beckendorf, they were interrupted by the sound of a large banging on the forge door.

"Expecting someone?" Gohan asked. Beckendorf shook his head, turning and pulling the doors open.

"Hello boys!" they both stiffened in surprise as it was no other than Silena Bulregard, standing impatiently with her arms crossed. Beckendorf turned red and sputtered.

"H-hey Silena." Gohan noticed this, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"What's up?" he asked, causing the pretty girl to glare at him.

"I hear you're one of the captains of capture-the-flag. I want to know what the plan is to beat those… those… stuck-up Hunter bitches!" both boys were stunned by how angry and vocal she was. Not to mention, the Aphrodite campers practically never did anything during capture the flag except admire themselves in the mirror. In fact, he had been so focused on mulling over Annabeth that he had forgotten about it. But now… he remembered the brochure. And it ignited that burning rage upon him. And at the same time… an idea.

"Guys… I've got a plan."


	14. Capture the Flag: Campers vs Hunters

The truth was, Percy was feeling the same way he was sure that Gohan was feeling. He wanted to strangle the Hunters of Artemis one eternal maiden at a time. The rest of the day Percy tried to keep busy, but he was worried sick about Annabeth. He went to javelin-throwing class, but the Ares camper in charge chewed me out after Percy got distracted and threw the javelin at the target before he got out of the way. Percy apologized for the hole in his pants, but he still sent Percy packing.

Percy visited the pegasus stables. However, there was an Aphrodite camper was having a heated argument with one of the Hunters, and he decided he'd better not get involved.

After that, Percy sat in the empty chariot stands and sulked. Down at the archery fields, Chiron was conducting target practice. Percy knew he'd be the best person to talk to. Maybe he could give Percy some advice, but something held him back. He had a feeling Chiron would try to protect him, like he always did. He might not tell him everything he knew.

He looked the other direction. At the top of Half-Blood Hill, Mr. D and Argus were feeding the baby dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece. Then, something else caught Gohan's attention: Gohan was walking past past the Big House with Beckendorf, Silena, and a few other campers, clutching a rolled up paper. Percy was curious, to say the least. Just what was Gohan up to?

Then it occurred to Percy that distracted him: no one would be in the Big House. There was someone else... _something_ else he could ask for guidance.

His blood was humming in his ears as he ran into the house and took the stairs. He'd only done this once before, and he still had nightmares about it. He opened the trap door and stepped into the attic.

The room was dark and dusty and cluttered with junk, just like he remembered. There were shields with monster bites out of them, and swords bent in the shapes of daemon heads, and a bunch of taxidermy, like a stuffed harpy and a bright orange python.

Over by the window, sitting on a three-legged stool, was the shriveled-up mummy of an old lady in a tie-dyed hippie dress. The Oracle.

Percy made himself walk toward her. He waited for green mist to billow from the mummy's mouth, like it had before, but nothing happened.

"Hi," Percy said. "Uh, what's up?"

No answer.

"I have a question," Percy said a little louder. "I need to know about Annabeth. How can I save her?"

Still no answer. The sun slanted through the dirty attic window, lighting the dust motes dancing in the air.

Percy waited longer. Then he got angry. He was being stonewalled by a corpse. "All right," he said. "Fine. I'll figure it out myself."

He turned and bumped into a big table full of souvenirs. It seemed more cluttered than the last time he was here. Heroes stored all kinds of stuff in the attic: quest trophies they no longer wanted to keep in their cabins, or stuff that held painful memories. Percy knew Luke had stored a dragon claw somewhere up here—the one that had scarred his face.

There was a broken sword hilt labeled: _This broke and Leroy got killed. 1999_.

Then, he noticed a pink silk scarf with a label attached to it. He picked up the tag and tried to read it:

 **SCARF OF THE GODDESS APHRODITE**

RECOVERED AT WATERLAND, DENVER, CO., BY ANNABETH CHASE, PERCY JACKSON AND GOHAN.

He stared at the scarf. He'd totally forgotten about it. Two years ago, Annabeth had ripped this scarf out of Percy's hands after Gohan had gotten a facefull of the stuff and gone love-crazy, even kissing Annabeth. Percy had a funny feeling that that had been the first kiss for both of them. To say the two had both had been embarrassed and mortified by the whole ordeal was an understatement. Notably, at the time, they hadn't known who exactly Gohan was at the time: he'd still had amnesia from arriving from his world. That had been the first adventure the three had ever had together.

Honestly, Percy had just assumed she'd thrown it away, or burnt the thing. And yet here it was. She'd kept it all this time? And why had she stashed it in the attic? Percy shook his head.

It almost seemed ironic now. Love magic had seemed so silly back then, but then love magic had driven Gohan crazy and nearly gotten them killed. Just went to show you how dangerous and double-bladed love could be.

Percy turned to the mummy. She hadn't moved, but the shadows across her face made it look like she was smiling gruesomely.

Percy dropped the scarf and tried not to run toward the exit.

That night after dinner, Percy was seriously ready to beat the Hunters at capture the flag. It was going to be a small game: only thirteen Hunters, including Bianca di Angelo, and about the same number of campers.

Zoe Nightshade looked pretty upset. She kept glancing resentfully at Chiron, like she couldn't believe he was making her do this. The other Hunters didn't look too happy, either. Unlike last night, they weren't laughing or joking around. They just huddled together in the dining pavilion, whispering nervously to each other as they strapped on their armor. Some of them even looked like they'd been crying. Clearly, Zoe had told them about her nightmare.

On the Camp team, they had Beckendorf and two other Hephaestus guys, a few from the Ares cabin (though it still seemed strange that Clarisse wasn't around), the Stoll brothers and Nico from Hermes cabin, and a few Aphrodite kids. It was shocking just how raring to go the Aphrodite campers were.

"I'll show them 'love is worthless,'" Silena Beauregard grumbled as she strapped on her armor. "I'll pulverize them!" She nodded at Gohan, who nodded back.

That left Percy, and Gohan.

"Okay, spill it! What's this plan of yours that I heard about?" Percy asked. Gohan simply cocked his head and smiled.

"It's need to know."

"We're co-captains! And I'm your best friend!"

"Percy, trust me. I want those Hunters to lose even more than you." At that moment, Thalia strode up

She already had Aegis on her arm, and even their own teammates were giving her a wide berth, trying not to cower before the bronze head of Medusa. Gohan, showing impressive fortitude, merely winching.

"It's simple. I take the offense," Thalia volunteered. "Percy takes defense."

"And me?" Gohan asked. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Just stay out of my way."

"Ummm… Don't you think with your shield and all, you'd be better defense?" Percy spoke up.

"Well, I was thinking it would make better offense," Thalia said. "Besides, you've had more practice at defense."

"I think Gohan should be defensive. Let him guard the flag. There's no one anyone can take him." Gohan simply shrugged.

"Yeah, no problem," Gohan answered. Percy gave him a curious look. Just what was Gohan's big plan?

"Cool." Thalia turned to help some of the Aphrodite kids, who were having trouble suiting up their armor without breaking their nails. Nico di Angelo ran up to them with a big grin on his face.

"This is awesome!" His blue-feathered bronze helmet was falling in his eyes, and his breastplate was about six sizes too big. Gohan couldn't help but smile. He wondered if there was any way he'd looked that ridiculous when he was that young. He probably had. Though, no way he looked that silly in that armor.

Nico lifted his sword with effort. "Do we get to kill the other team?"

"No. You never kill unless you have to, under extreme circumstances. Life or death." Nico shifted nervously.

"But the Hunters are immortal, right?" "

That's only if they don't fall in battle. Besides—"

"It would be awesome if we just, like, resurrected as soon as we were killed, so we could keep fighting, and—"

"Nico, this isn't a video game." Percy interrupted.

"He's right. This is serious. Real weapons. These can hurt."

He stared at Gohan, a little disappointed, and he realized that he sounded just sounded like his mother. All the times she had forbidden him to fight because of how dangerous it was. Whoa. When did that happen.

Quickly, Gohan patted Nico on the shoulder. "Hey, it's cool. Just follow the team. Stay out of Zoe and Thalia's way. We're gonna have a ton of fun."

Chiron's hoof thundered on the pavilion floor.

"Heroes!" he called. "You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team— Camp Half-Blood—shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis—red team—shall take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!"

"Sweet," Nico whispered. "What kind of magic items? Do I get one?"

Percy was about to answer when Thalia said, "Blue team! Follow me!"

"Come on! Let's show these Hunters why we're the best!" Gohan roared.

They cheered and followed. Percy had to run to catch up, and tripped over somebody's shield, so he didn't look much like a co-captain compared to Gohan and Thalia. More like an idiot.

They set their flag at the top of Zeus's Fist. It's this cluster of boulders in the middle of the west woods that, if you look at it just the right way, looks like a huge fist sticking out of the ground. If you look at it from any other side, it looks like a pile of enormous deer droppings, but Chiron wouldn't let us call the place the Poop Pile, especially after it had been named for Zeus, who doesn't have much of a sense of humor.

Anyway, it was a smart place to set the flag. The top boulder was twenty feet tall and really hard to climb, so the flag was clearly visible, like the rules said it had to be, and it didn't matter that the guards weren't allowed to stand within ten yards of it.

Gohan set Nico on guard duty with Beckendorf and the Stoll brothers, figuring he'd be safely out of the way. He remembered what he had been in his very first battle. He was not proud to admit that he had chickened out more than once during the battle against Vegeta and Nappa. Better to keep Nico out of harm's way. No telling what a newbie might do in his first battle.

"Okay guys, you remember what to do?" Gohan called out. He got an enthusiastic response from the gathered campers, except for puzzled looks from Percy and Thalia

"Remember, no one slip up! Beckendorf and Silena will lead the groups on the left and right. We'll send out decoys in all directions. Make sure you get their attention."

"On it!" Then, Gohan turned to Thalia.

"Thalia, go down the center. The Hunters will charge out to face you, and the flankers can grab the flag. Me, Percy and the rest will stay behind to guard the flag. Make sure no one gets past us." Percy was a little surprised. That was Gohan's big plan? The one he had been planning all day? It seemed a little…

"Simple! That is the simplest plan I've ever heard! You really think that'll work against the Hunters?" Thalia scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. Gohan simply smirked.

"Let's let everyone else vote. Guys?" The others looked between Gohan and Thalia before raising their hands.

"I like it." Beckendorf volunteered.

"Same here." Silena added. Now Percy was even _more_ confused.

Thalia scoffed in disbelief before throwing her hands up in the air.

"FINE! Go with the guy who's never been a leader in his life. Enjoy losing to the Hunters!" She poked Gohan in the chest and shocked him. Like, electric shocked him. Not that it actually hurt him, more like just annoyed him. Still, she's been known to fry off people's eyebrows.

Thalia looked at Percy. "Anything to add?"

"Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We've got four guards, two scouts. That's not much for a big forest. Yell if you need help."

"And don't leave your post!" Thalia said. "Unless you see a golden opportunity," Percy added. Thalia scowled. "Just don't leave your post." "Right, unless—"

"Percy!" Now it was Gohan who barked the order. Everyone was momentarily stunned by the sheer fierceness of the command.

"Now, is everybody clear?"

Everybody nodded. They broke into their smaller groups. The horn sounded, and the game began.

Silena's group disappeared into the woods on the left. Thalia's group gave it a few seconds, then darted off toward the right.

Percy waited for something to happen. He climbed Zeus's Fist and had a good view over the forest. Gohan paced around the bottom, a calm look on his face.

Percy remembered how the Hunters had stormed out of the woods when they fought the manticore, and he was prepared for something like that—one huge charge that could overwhelm them. But nothing happened. Yells emerged from the forest, as well as the sound of steel clashing.

Percy caught a glimpse of Silena and her two scouts. They ran through a clearing, followed by five of the Hunters, leading them deep into the woods and away from Thalia. The plan seemed to be working. Then Percy spotted another clump of Hunters heading to the right, bows ready. They must've spotted Thalia.

"Perfect…" Gohan whispered.

"What's happening?" Nico demanded, standing next to Gohan.

Percy's mind was racing. Thalia would never get through, but the Hunters were divided. With that many on either flank, their center had to be wide open. If he moved fast... he knew Gohan had a plan, but this was a golden opportunity.

Percy looked at Conner Stoll. "Can you guys hold the fort?" He snorted. "Of course." "I'm going in. The Stoll brothers and Nico cheered as Percy raced toward the boundary line.

"Percy!" he heard Gohan's voice yell. But Percy ignored him.

Percy was running at top speed and he felt great. Percy leaped over the creek into enemy territory. He could see their silver flag up ahead, only two guards, who weren't even looking in his direction. Percy heard fighting to his left and right, somewhere in the woods. He had it made.

The first guard turned at the last minute. It was Bianca di Angelo. Her eyes widened as he slammed into her and she went sprawling in the snow.

"Sorry!" Percy yelled. He whirled to see himself facing down a notched arrow. The hunter, who he recognized as Phoebe, glared at him.

"Oh. Ummm… hi." Then, a loud THWAK echoed as Phoebe let out a grunt, before slumping to the ground. Gohan sighed as he lowered his hand and stepped over the unconscious Hunter.

"What happened to defending the flag?" Gohan asked, visibly annoyed.

"I could say the same to you." Percy countered, looking at the flag.

"Oh please, after you." Percy needed no other motivation, ripping down the silver silk flag from the tree and taking off, Gohan hot on his heels.

Percy was ten yards away before Bianca managed to yell for help. He thought they were home free.

 _ZIP_. A silvery cord raced across his ankles and fastened to the tree next to me. A trip wire, fired from a bow! Before he could even think about stopping, he went down hard, sprawling in the snow. Gohan darted past him. It was like nothing could touch him.

"Percy!" Thalia yelled, off to his left. "What are you guys _doing_?"

Before she reached him, an arrow exploded at her feet and a cloud of yellow smoke billowed around her team. They started coughing and gagging. He could smell the gas from across the woods—the horrible smell of sulfur.

"No fair!" Thalia gasped. "Fart arrows are unsportsmanlike!"

Percy got up and started running again. Only a few more yards to the creek and he had the game. More arrows whizzed past his ears. A Hunter came out of nowhere and slashed at him with her knife, but he parried and kept running.

"Gohan! A little help here!" Percy looked around, but Gohan seemed to have vanished.

He heard yelling from their side of the creek. Beckendorf and Nico were running toward him. To his horror, he saw they were chasing someone—Zoe Nightshade, racing toward him like a cheetah, dodging campers with no trouble. And she had their flag in her hands. Yells emerged as Silena and the others burst out of the woods, hunters hot on their tail.

"No!" He yelled, and poured on the speed. At that moment… out of nowhere, Gohan leaped from the trees and landed in the creek. He thrust his fist out at Zoe, slamming her with a burst of wind and sending her flying back. However, she managed to roll in the air and leap back to her geet, glaring at Gohan.

"NOW!" he roared. Beckendorf nodded and pulled out what looked like a light-switch, flicking it. Then, with a loud cranking noise, what looked like a circle of full-sized mirrors sprang up around the creek, reflecting the expression of the surprised and confused Hunters. It was like looking in a mirror funhouse. Completely cutting off anyone off. Silena, Beckendorf, and the other campers save Percy and Thalia dropped to the ground and covered their eyes. Zoe looked around in confusion, before her eyes widened in realization.

"It's a trap!" she roared.

"SOLAR FLARE!" Gohan roared as he raised his hands to his head. A burst of brilliant light burst out from him. The Hunters screamed as they dropped their weapons and clawed at their eyes. Zoe had managed to partially cover her eyes, but still got a nasty burst of the light. Thalia screeched in rage.

"Asshole!" she roared as she desperately rubbed at her eyes. Percy groaned. He should have known.

"YOU!" she seethed as the flag dropped, hitting the ground with a loud THUD. She hissed as she held up her knives, stumbling forward, spots swimming in front of her eyes as the image of Gohan danced around. Gohan calmly pulled out Ascension. Zoe darted at him, but Gohan simply jumped back, dodging the hunter. She hissed as she charged at swung at Gohan, but no matter what she did, she couldn't seem to be able to touch him. The other campers watched in awe, and even let out a gasp of awe when Gohan completely ducked under Zoe's double stab, flipping and whirling to face her.

"A real warrior knows when to accept defeat." Zoe seethed. Clearly, this was someone who didn't like the word defeat.

"I will never be defeated by an Otherworlder! Never!" Gohan simply cocked his head and smiled.

"You already have. You just haven't realized it." Then, to everyone's surprise, Gohan lowered his blade.

"Screaming, Zoe rushed at the defenseless boy, clearly expecting him to jump or duck out of the way. However, she and her blades passed right through Gohan, meeting no resistance. As if she had passed through a ghost. She whirled to face Gohan, looking at him in both confusion and disbelief. He simply grinned as he held up his free hand and wiggled his fingers.

"Told you that you already lost. You might want to turn around." Zoe's eyes widened before whirling. To her shock and disbelief, there was a second Gohan standing on the Camp's side of the creek, holding both flags with a big grin on his face. Zoe gaped in shock, whirling back to look at the first. She raised her knife and hurled it at him, but the knife simply flew through him and landed on the ground. He grinned.

"Made you look." Then, that Gohan faded away, leaving a thunderstruck Zoe. The other Gohan grinned as he raised both flags. For a second, there was silence. Then, the campers let out a roar of excitement as they rushed Gohan and lifted him onto their shoulders.

"I cannot believe that worked!" Beckendorf laughed!

"You better put our mirrors back in perfect condition!" Silena ordered, but quickly smiled, clearly ecstatic at putting one over on the Hunters. The Hunters themselves were thunderstruck, shocked at their loss. Many of them were still rubbing their eyes, still suffering the effects of Gohan's solar flare.

Chiron appeared out of the woods, looking both surprised and elated.. He had the Stoll brothers on his back, and it looked as if both of them had taken some nasty whacks to the head. Connor Stoll had two arrows sticking out of his helmet like antennae.

"Camp Half-Blood win! For the first time… ever!" Chiron announced with pleasure.

Then he muttered, "Finally, after fifty-fifty time losses in a row." Gohan grinned as he got back on his feet.

"So. That was your plan all along? Lure the hunters into this giant elaborate trap and blind them?"

"A part of it, yes."

"How'd you pull off that double trick?"

"A ki projection. A new trick that I've been working on. Not as much energy needed as a full double, but still does the job."

"HEY!" Thalia yelled, storming toward Percy and Gohan. She smelled like rotten eggs, and blinking hard to get the spots out of her eyes. She was so mad that blue sparks flickered on her armor. Everybody cringed and backed up because of Aegis.

"What in the name of the gods were you THINKING?" she bellowed.

"What's the big deal? We won!" Gohan protested.

"And you didn't think to let me or Percy in on your elaborate scheme?! I can barely see!" Gohan smirked.

"I needed some unpredictability. Who better than the camp's biggest hotheads?" Thalia hissed in rage at the insult.

"You're calling me a hothead? Your plan was way too stupid and complicated! It almost failed!"

"But it didn't! We won! Come on, let's celebrate! Who cares how we did it, but we did! So it wasn't by your plan, but who cares-"

"Argh! You're so STUPID!" Thalia pushed him, and a shock went through his body that blew the young saiyan backward ten feet into the water. Some of the campers gasped. A couple of the Hunters stifled laughs, clearly happy to see the boy who humiliated them getting shocked.

"Sorry!" Thalia said, turning pale. "I didn't mean to—"

"WHAT THE HELL?" Percy roared as he raced to Gohan's side, helping the stunned young man to his feet.

"Ow." Gohan blinked, his hair standing on end.

Anger roared in Percy's ears. A wave erupted from the creek, blasting into Thalia's face and dousing her from head to toe.

"That's for blasting my friend!"

Thalia was breathing heavily, her face contorted with rage.

"Enough!" Chiron ordered.

But Thalia held out her spear. "You want some, Seaweed Brain?"

Somehow, it was okay when Annabeth called him that—at least, he'd gotten used to it— but hearing it from Thalia was not cool.

"Bring it on, Pinecone Face!"

Percy raised Riptide, but before he could even defend myself, Thalia yelled, and a blast of lightning came down from the sky, hit her spear like a lightning rod, and shot towards Percy. But then, Gohan leaped in front of Percy, crossing his arms together just as the lighting hit. Thalia's eyes widened in horror as several of the campers gasped. But when the smoke faded, it was replaced with another surprising sight: a shimmering blue ki shield. Gohan's eyes narrowed as he glared at Thalia, the shield dissipating.

"Thalia!" Chiron said. "That is _enough_!"

Percy snarled as he willed the entire creek to rise. It swirled up, hundreds of gallons of water in a massive icy funnel cloud.

"Percy!" Chiron pleaded.

"ENOUGH!" Then, to Percy's shock, Gohan trapped both him and Thalia into headlocks, one arm each. The water splashed back into the creekbed. Thalia screeched as she flailed, punching Gohan in the back.

"Let go!" she ordered as she waved her arms in desperation, but Gohan simply growled.

"Not until you calm down!" However, Gohan was then distracted when he saw something in the woods. He lost all his concentration all at once, letting go Percy and Thalia. They were so surprised that they turned to see what he was looking at.

Someone... something was approaching. It was shrouded in a murky green mist, but as it got closer, the campers and Hunters gasped.

"This is impossible," Chiron said. Gohan had never heard him sound so nervous. "It... she has never left the attic. Never."

And yet, the withered mummy that held the Oracle shuffled forward until she stood in the center of the group. Mist curled around their feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green.

No one dared move. Then her voice hissed inside Gohan's head. Apparently everyone could hear it, because several clutched their hands over the ears.

 _I am the sprit of Delphi_ , the voice said. _Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python_.

The Oracle regarded the saiyan with its cold, dead eyes. Then she turned unmistakably toward Zoe Nightshade. _Approach, Seeker, and ask_.

Zoe swallowed. "What must I do to help my goddess?"

The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out. He saw the vague image of a mountain, and a girl standing at the barren peak. It was Artemis, but she was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks. She was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain. A large dark shadow loomed over her, its red eyes gleaming.

The Oracle spoke:

 _Six shall go west to the goddess in chains, One shall be lost in the land without rain, one will be lost to the wall of water. Beware the lies of the false owl. The bane of Olympus shows the trail, Campers and Hunters combined prevail, The Titan's curse must one withstand,_

 _And one shall perish by a parent_ _'_ _s hand_.

Then, as they were watching, the mist swirled and retreated like a great green serpent into the mummy's mouth. The Oracle sat down on a rock and became as still as she'd been in the attic, as if she might sit by this creek for a hundred years.


	15. Planning and Arguing

The least the Oracle could've done was walk back to the attic by herself.

Instead, she had to be carried back. Gohan, surprisingly, volunteered, along with Percy. Gohan awkwardly lifted her like a bag, while Percy managed the door.

"Watch her head!" Percy warned as they went up the stairs. But it was too late. _Bonk_! Gohan whacked her mummified face against the trapdoor frame and dust flew. "Ah, man." Gohan set her down and checked for damage. "Did I break anything?" "I can't tell," Percy admitted.

Gohan dropped her on the stool and readjusted her.

"You know, in my world, we have fortunetelling too."

"You do?"

"Oh yeah. Only, our fortuneteller's alive. Though she's pretty old too. Name's Baba. Uses a crystal ball."

"A crystal ball? Seriously? That's pretty cliché."

"It still works." Percy shifted nervously, not looking forward to the real reason he had volunteered to take the Oracle with Gohan.

"Why didn't you tell me about your plan?" Gohan rolled his eyes.

"Seriously!"

"Honestly? I meant what I said. I needed a wild card. The Hunters aren't stupid. I needed to lure the hunters into the clearing, but they would've seen a coordinated assault from a mile away. So, I left you and Thalia out of the loop, hoping you would do something so crazy and reckless that they knew couldn't be planned in any way and take chase. And you did."

Percy felt a swell of anger bubble up in him. Did Gohan really think Percy was that predictable? Still, he cursed mentally at the fact Gohan had been right. It had been a clever plan, one that Annabeth would have been proud of. There were times Percy forgot just how smart Gohan could really be. The two descended from the attic and stepped outside to find Grover, fretting nervously.

"You've looked better." Gohan commented with a grin on his face.

Percy felt annoyed. They should have been celebrating their big win against the Hunters, but that elation had been muted somewhat with the new prophecy from the Oracle. But this bothered Percy way beyond that. It was like the spirit of Delphi had gone out of her way to exclude Percy. She'd ignored his question and walked half a mile to talk to Zoe. _And_ she'd said nothing, not even a hint, about Annabeth. That pissed Percy off to no end.

"You think the Oracle would tell me how to get back home?" Gohan joke.

"Probably not. She'd just ignore you, then run a mile to tell Silena where her make-up is." Percy sighed as he turned to look at Grover.

"What will Chiron do?" he asked Grover.

"I wish I knew." He looked wistfully out at the rolling hills covered in snow. "I want to be out there."

"Searching for Annabeth?"

Grover shuffled nervously, ignoring Gohan. Then he blushed. "Oh, right. That too. Of course."

"Why?" Percy asked. "What were you thinking?"

He clopped his hooves uneasily. "Just something the manticore said, about the Great Stirring. I can't help but wonder... if all those ancient powers are waking up, maybe... maybe not all of them are evil."

"You talking about Pan?" Gohan asked, remembering one of the first conversations that he had had with Grover. Pan was Grover's life ambition. The nature god had gone missing two thousand years ago. He was rumored to have died, but the satyrs didn't believe that. They were determined to find him. They'd been searching in vain for centuries, and Grover was convinced he'd be the one to succeed. This year, with Chiron putting all the satyrs on emergency duty to find half-bloods, Grover hadn't been able to continue his search. It must've been driving him nuts.

"I've let the trail go cold," he said. "I feel restless, like I'm missing something really important. He's out there somewhere. I can just feel it."

"Well, Pan's been missing for two thousand years. I doubt a week or two is going to make that much of a difference in the long run." Grover gave Gohan a very offended look.

"Come on, Gohan." Percy protested. He really didn't need more tension between Gohan and Grover again.

"Sorry. I'm just saying."

Before Percy could respond, Thalia tromped up. She was officially not talking to Gohan now, but she looked at Grover and said, "Chiron wants Percy and Gohan to get their butts downstairs."

"Why?" Gohan asked.

"Did he say something?" Thalia asked Grover.

"Um, he asked why."

"Dionysus is calling a council of cabin leaders to discuss the prophecy," she said. "Unfortunately, that includes Percy. And Chiron wants Gohan there for some reason. Despite the fact he's not a cabin leader. Not even a demigod for that matter." Then, she briskly turned and stomped away.

"You know, you'd think we'd lost the game from the way she's acting." Grover sighed.

"She just doesn't like being tricked." Gohan sighed.

"Fine, I'll say sorry next time I see her."

The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. Dionysus waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Then Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of the people present were underage. Mr. D sighed. With a snap of his fingers the wine turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that either. Well… almost everyone. Gohan chugged an entire bottle while shifting in his chair. He burped, getting angry glares.

"Personally, I don't like this stuff. I like the regular kind. More sugar. Better kick."

"No one cares which kinda Coke you like!" Thalia snapped.

"Thalia!" Chiron snapped. Thalia rolled her eyes and leaned back.

Mr. D and Chiron (in wheelchair form) sat at one end of the table. Zoe and Bianca di Angelo (who had kind of become Zoe's personal assistant) took the other end. Thalia, Grover, Percy and Gohan sat along the right, and the other head councilors—Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers—sat on the left. The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs (accidentally) during capture the flag, courtesy of the Hunters. They were resting up in the infirmary. Gohan made a mental note to go thank them later, even if they had a grudge against him. They had agreed to go along with his plan, after all.

Zoe started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless."

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said. It was amazing just how different she looked after just a few days with the Hunters. Her dark hair was braided like Zoe's now, so you could actually see her face. She had a splash of freckles across her nose, and looked like she'd been working out, and her skin glowed faintly, like the other Hunters, as if she'd been taking showers in liquid moonlight. "You heard the prophecy. _Six shall go west to the goddess in chains_. We can get six hunters and go."

"Yes," Zoe agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her." "You're missing something, as usual," Thalia said. " _Campers and Hunters combined prevail_. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoe said. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

" _Your"_ Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said _thy_ in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times."

Zoe hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly. " _Yerrr_. We do not need _yerrr_ help."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

"I fear the prophecy says you _do_ need our help," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it had a fine bouquet. " _Two shall be lost. One shall perish_. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail _because_ you try to cooperate?"

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoe grimaced, but it was clear Thalia had scored a point.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting." But then, a smirk came across his face.

"Of course, we can finally decide what to do with _him_. I'm hoping for burn to ashes." He glared at Gohan.

"Say that again!" Percy snapped in rage, while Gohan simply chuckled.

"Just ignore him, Percy. There's more important things to think about."

"Indeed, Gohan is correct. Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoe said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations." Connor snorted at that.

"Something to add, Connor?" Chiron asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. Why bother? No one can beat us while we have Gohan on our side. He's unstoppable! No one messes with him!" his brother, Beckendorf and Silena nodded their heads at that and pounded the table. Mr. D's sons didn't join in, but they nodded all the same. Thalia, notably, didn't, giving Gohan an angry glare. Gohan himself blushed in embarrassment. At the same time, he was elated inside, and trying not to cry. He hadn't had any friends his age back home. But here? He had known these kids for a little over a year, yet they considered him a fellow brother-in-arms.

"Aww, guys." Gohan grinned. Chiron frowned, and then let out a loud whistle, causing the pounding to stop.

"Be that as it may," Chiron paused, before continuing.

"Gohan is very powerful, yes. However, he still only one man. And mortal, at that. We need the gods united in this conflict if we want any chance of victory."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

Mr. D nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course. Carry on."

"I must agree with Zoe," said Chiron. "Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."

"Three and three," Gohan said.

Everybody looked at him. Thalia even forgot to ignore him. Gohan grinned. Was this the way his dad had done it with the Z Fighters? It seemed so natural to him.

"We're supposed to be six," Gohan stated. "Three Hunters, three from Camp Half-Blood. That's even. Basic math."

Thalia and Zoe exchanged looks. "Well," Thalia said. "It does make sense." Zoe grunted. "I would prefer to take _all_ the Hunters. We will need strength of numbers."

"And if you run into those things again?" Zoe snorted.

"We were taken by surprise and distracted. That will _not_ happen again."

"You'll be retracing the goddess's path," Chiron reminded her. "Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. You will have to do the same. The prophecy was clear: _The bane of Olympus shows the trail_. What would your mistress say? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent.' A small group is best."

Zoe picked up a Ping-Pong paddle and studied it like she was deciding who she wanted to whack first. "This monster—the bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast might be."

Everybody looked at Dionysus, likely because he was the only god present and gods are supposed to know things. He was flipping through a wine magazine, but when everyone got silent he glanced up, "Well, don't look at me. I'm a _young_ god, remember? I don't keep track of all those ancient monsters and dusty titans. They make for terrible party conversation."

"Chiron," Percy said, "you don't have any ideas about the monster?"

Chiron pursed his lips. "I have several ideas, none of them good. And none of them quite make sense. Typhon, for instance, could fit this description. He was truly a bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster Keto. But if either of these were stirring, we would know it. They are ocean monsters the size of skyscrapers. Your father, Poseidon, would already have sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be more elusive. Perhaps even more powerful."

"Maybe it's something new." Percy volunteered, causing everyone to look at him.

"Explain." Chiron asked.

"Artemis said that when Gohan got blasted into our world, he cracked some kind of barrier. And not only is that barrier cracked, but the cracks are growing bigger, and things are seeping through it. That could explain that girl we saw on Luke's ship. The one that could control metal." Zoe snorted.

"Why am I not surprised that all this is his fault?"

"Zoe…" Bianca whispered softly, clearly trying to avoid another argument.

"So… Luke is amassing an army of Otherworlders? That's not good. Gods only know what else is out there." Silena commented. Gohan, however, noticed that Zoe seemed to visibly pale and glance at Chiron. However, he quickly shook his head.

"That doesn't make any sense, though. If there are others out there, why haven't we encountered any? And if this is all true, how in Olympus is Luke finding and contacting them? Does he have a magic portal or something?"

"I don't know. But, this means that we have no idea what's awaiting us at where Artemis is. There could be a giant squid monster or something for all we know."

"That's some serious danger you're facing," Connor Stoll said. (Gohan noted how he said _you_ and not we.) "It sounds like at least half the group is going to die."

" _One shall be lost in the land without rain"_ Beckendorf said. "If I were you, I'd stay out of the desert."

" _One will be lost to the wall of water_ _"_ What the heck does that mean?" Percy asked.

"A tsunami, maybe? That could fit. West could mean the Pacific Ocean."

There was a muttering of agreement.

"And _the Titan's curse must one withstand_ ," Silena said. "What could that mean?"

Gohan saw Chiron and Zoe exchange another nervous look, but whatever they were thinking, they didn't share it.

" _One shall perish by a parent's hand_ ," Grover said in between bites of Cheez Whiz and Ping-Pong balls. "How is that possible? Whose parent would kill them?"

There was heavy silence around the table.

Percy glanced at Thalia and wondered if she was thinking the same thing he was. Years ago, Chiron had had a prophecy about the next child of the Big Three—Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades—who turned sixteen. Supposedly, that kid would make a decision that would save or destroy the gods forever. Because of that, the Big Three had taken an oath after World War II not to have any more kids. But Thalia and Percy had been born anyway, and now they were both getting close to sixteen.

"There will be deaths," Chiron decided. "That much we know."

"Oh, goody!" Dionysus said.

Everyone looked at him. He glanced up innocently from the pages of _Wine Connoisseur_ magazine. "Ah, pinot noir is making a comeback. Don't mind me."

"Percy is right," Silena Beauregard said. "Three campers should go."

"Oh, I see," Zoe said sarcastically. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

Silena blushed. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters. Don't look at me!"

"A daughter of Aphrodite does not wish to be looked at," Zoe scoffed. "What would thy mother say?" Silena started to get out of her chair, but the Stoll brothers pulled her back.

"Stop it," Beckendorf said. He was a big guy with a bigger voice. He didn't talk much, but when he did, people tended to listen. "Let's start with the Hunters. Which three of you will go?"

Zoe stood. "I shall go, of course, and I will take Phoebe. She is our best tracker." "The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis Stoll asked cautiously. Zoe nodded. "The one who put the arrows in my helmet?" Connor added..

"Yes," Zoe snapped. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Travis said. "Just that we have a T-shirt for her from the camp store." He held up a big silver T-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR 2002, with a huge list of national parks and stuff underneath. "It's a collector's item. She was admiring it. You want to give it to her?"

To all the campers, it was obvious the Stolls were up to something. They always were. But, Zoe just sighed and took the T-shirt. "As I was saying, I will take Phoebe. And I wish Bianca to go."

Bianca looked stunned. "Me? But... I'm so new. I wouldn't be any good."

"You will do fine," Zoe insisted. "There is no better way to prove thyself."

Bianca closed her mouth. Percy felt kind of sorry for her. He remembered his first quest when he was twelve. He had felt totally unprepared. A little honored, maybe, but a lot resentful and plenty scared. He figured the same things were running around in Bianca's head right now. Unfortunately, Gohan chose that minute to make things even worse for her.

"Hold on a second!" Gohan protested. Zoe glared at him.

"What right do you have to speak, boy?"

"I'll speak when I hear an extremely stupid decision." There was a brief pause, where several campers took in a sharp intake of breath, not looking forward to this blowout, especially given the expression on Zoe's face.

"Excuse me?"

"Bianca should not go on this mission. It's way too dangerous."

"We are Hunters, boy! We face danger every single day."

"I can take care of myself just fine!" Bianca protested.

"I'm not questioning that! However, Zoe wants to send an untrained, inexperienced girl on an extremely dangerous mission where we could be facing dangerous, unknown creatures, and at least half the group is going to die. And Bianca has… how much training now?" Bianca bristled.

"I can learn!"

"Exactly! You're immortal now, you have, quite literally, forever to train! You shouldn't jump the gun and go on an extremely dangerous mission like this right off the bat, where you'll likely die!"

"ENOUGH!" Zoe smashed her fist on the table, her eyes blazing with rage.

"It is not up to thy! Bianca is going, that is FINAL!" An awkward silence fell over the room, which was thankfully broken by Chiron.

"And for campers?" Chiron asked. His eyes met Percy's and then flittered over to Gohan, but he couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Me!" Grover stood up so fast he bumped the Ping-Pong table. He brushed cracker crumbs and Ping-Pong ball scraps off his lap. "Anything to help Artemis!"

Zoe wrinkled her nose. "I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood."

"But he _is_ a camper," Thalia said. "And he's got a satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet, Grover?"

"Absolutely!"

Zoe wavered.

"Very well," Zoe said. "And the second camper?" "I'll go." Thalia stood and looked around, daring anyone to question her. No one did.

"And the third?

"Me!" Percy said. "I want to go too."

"Same here. You guys need me." Gohan chimed in

Thalia said nothing. Chiron was still studying them, his eyes sad.

"You both cannot go. That exceeds the number that the Oracle dictated."

"Absolutely not!" Zoe said. "They are boys. I won't have Hunters traveling with a boy. Under any circumstances. Especially the Otherworlder. I will never fight alongside an Otherworlder!"

"What is your problem with Otherworlders? Gohan's done nothing to you! Not to mention, you traveled here with us!" Percy protested

"That was a short-term emergency, and it was ordered by the goddess. I will not go across the country and fight many dangers in the company of a boy."

"What about Grover?" Percy demanded.

Zoe shook her head. "He does not count. He's a satyr. He is not technically a boy."

"Hey!" Grover protested.

"I _have_ to go," Percy said. "I need to be on this quest."

"There is another reason no man can go on this quest."

"And what's that?" Percy demanded. She grinned.

"Thy said it yourself. We very may encounter those beings from before again. And one of them, if you recall, replicates the abilities of Aphrodite. Which includes controlling men, as this otherworlder can attest to." Gohan's face blushed, clearly a bit annoyed at the jab. Silena looked offended, though likely for different reasons.

"But-!"

"But what? She can control any man just merely speaking to him. If you went with us, she would control you and force you to turn against us. You would become an inconvenience, not an asset. Just like before."

"You're just pissed that you lost to Gohan." Percy stated coldly, causing the Hunter to glare at him.

"Excuse thy?"

"Percy!" Chiron pleaded.

"Do NOT question me, boy! That was merely a petty contest. I will not place the fate of the goddess in an Otherworlder's hand! They care nothing for our world, for our world is meaningless to them! They care only how it benefits them."

"We need to go!" Percy looked at Gohan, who was sitting back with a calm expression on his face. He simply nodded.

"Why?" Zoe asked. "Because of thy friend Annabeth?"

CRUNCH! Several shocked yelps erupted as cracks suddenly appeared all along the table. Percy swallowed nervously as he turned, looking to see the source of the cracks. Gohan looked down, blinking in realization that his hands had clenched instinctively, and broken through the table like paper. He slowly unclenched his hands, letting the pieces of table in his hands drop to the ground. Several sparks danced across his body before quickly flickering out.

Gohan's face flushed red as heat filled his cheeks. He hated that everyone was looking at him. He hated feeling helpless, and he hated being completely unable to help Annabeth. Mr. D looked bored, still reading his magazine. Silena, the Stoll brothers, and Beckendorf were staring at the table. Bianca gave him a look of pity.

"I… need some air." Gohan stood silently and exited, leaving an awkward silence. This time, Zoe broke the silence.

"I insist upon this. I will take a satyr if I must, but not a male hero."

Chiron sighed. "The quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions."

Percy's ears were ringing as he sat down. He knew Grover and some of the others were looking at him sympathetically, but he couldn't meet their eyes.

"So… who will the third camper be?" Silena asked. An awkward silence follow as Percy noticed something: nearly all the counselors present were boys. The only female counselors at Camp were Silena, Clarisse, Thalia, and Katie Gardner, daughter of Dementer. Clarisse was gone, Thalia had already volunteered, and Silena had flat-out refused, not to mention the pure loathing between her and Zoe. Which left…

"Oh, come on!" Katie protested, her eyes wide in horror.

"Why not? Your mother works with plants." Thalia pointed out.

"Agriculture!"

"Look Katie, we don't exactly have a lot of other girls here right now besides us. I'd ask Clarisse, but she's not here. You're a good fighter, Katie. You've been here for four years already, you can hold your own."

Katie looked around desperately, before finally slumping her head in defeat.

"Fine, I'll do it." She agreed, albeit extremely reluctantly.

Percy just sat there as Chiron concluded the council.

"So be it," he said. "Thalia, Katie and Grover will accompany Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods"—he glanced at Dionysus—"present company included, we hope—be with you." At that moment, the ping-pong completely collapsed into pieces, spraying Cheeze Whiz and Diet Coke in all directions. Dionysus lowered his magazine and blinked in amusement.

"Hmph. What a pleasant start."


	16. Some Decisions Are Meant To Be Ignored

When he was younger, Gohan had had a bad habit of losing control of his anger, letting it explode from him in incredible bursts of strength and power. That had been both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness, one that had saved his life on numerous occasions against his father's greatest enemies. His father had seen the power Gohan's anger had given him and helped him unlock his true power, saving their world and defeating Cell. And even here, that anger had saved this world too, when he had lost his memory. But, he knew how dangerous that anger was, especially if he let it get out of control.

Since then, Gohan had spent much of his free time meditating, trying to focus and control his power. He would spend hours on the beach, hovering over the sand as he looked out at the ocean, concentrating and focusing. Unfortunately, that was proving much harder to do at the moment, especially with what happened to Annabeth. He hated that Zoe had been able to hit him in just the wrong place to get a reaction out of him. Not to mention another realization that he was struggling to deal with: it was almost two years since he had arrived here, and was still no closer to finding a way back home. He thought about his friends. His mom. Gohan had no idea how much time had passed back home. Were they trying to figure a way to bring him back? Was his mom okay? IT seemed like he was losing everyone he cared about these days.

Gohan concentrated, trying to focus the raging anger inside him. He wasn't sure how long he floated there, looking out at the water. Finally, he heard someone walk up.

"Hey." It was Percy.

"Hey."

"Thanks for sticking up for me in there." Percy sounded bitter. Gohan sighed as he opened his eyes and floated to the ground, before looking at his best friend.

"And what good would that have done? More screaming and arguing? I had a feeling Zoe wasn't going to let any boys on the mission. She wasn't going to budge."

"Didn't stop you from calling her out on Bianca."

"That was a stupid decision that I chose to point out."

"Well, you fought way worse things when you were just starting out, and you didn't have much training."

"I still had more than her. And I was scared, I'm not gonna deny that. If I was that terrified with six months of intense training, what's going to happen to someone like Bianca?"

"I did okay on our first quest, if I recall."

"Two things. One, that prophecy didn't mention half the group dying during the quest. Second, I seem to recall I saved your butt a few times."

"No, you didn't." Gohan playfully punched him, causing Percy to yelp.

"By the way, you missed dinner. Which shocked a whole lot of people." Gohan instantly wailed in despair.

"I forgot!" Percy deadpanned. At that moment, Chiron and Grover came looking for them.

"Percy, I'm so sorry!" Grover babbled. "I didn't know they'd—that you'd—Honest!"

He started to sniffle, and Percy figured if he didn't cheer him up he'd start bawling or chewing up the grass. He tends to eat household objects whenever he gets upset.

"It's okay," Percy lied. "Really. It's fine."

Grover's lower lip trembled. "I wasn't even thinking... I was so focused on helping Artemis. But I promise, I'll look everywhere for Annabeth. If I can find her, I will."

"I'm sure you will." Gohan spoke calmly.

"I-I know you'd be a big help, Gohan. B-but that girl already got you once! And you nearly turned me into a goatcake! Zoe has a point! She gets you again, you'd kill us all!" Gohan bristled, clearly offended.

"Grover," Chiron said, "perhaps you'd let me have a word with the boys?" "Sure," he sniffled. Chiron waited,

"Oh," Grover said. "You mean alone. Sure, Chiron." He looked at me miserably. "See? Nobody needs a goat."

He trotted away, blowing his nose on his sleeve.

Chiron sighed and knelt on his horse legs. "I don't pretend to understand prophecies."

"Yeah," Gohan said. "Well, maybe that's because they don't make any sense and they're self-fufilling."

Chiron gazed at the ocean.. "Thalia would not have been my first choice to go on this quest. She's too impetuous. She acts without thinking. She is too sure of herself."

"You know this is a trap, right? Artemis is just the bait. Luke and his partner are using her to draw them in." Chiron sighed.

"I suspect so, yes. That is another reason why I would prefer not to send you all together."

"Would you have chosen me?" Percy asked

"Frankly, no," he said. "You and Thalia are much alike."

"Thanks a lot."

He smiled. "The difference is that you are less sure of yourself than Thalia. That could be good or bad. But one thing I can say: both of you together would be a dangerous thing."

"And me?" Gohan asked. Chiron sighed.

"You? Quite honestly, Gohan, I have not had a pupil with such raw power and talent since Hercules and Achilles. But, you suffer many of their weaknesses as well. As you probably know, their mistakes ultimately resulted in their deaths. I would prefer to help you return to your world alive, not in a shroud." Gohan pressed his lips together.

"I can take care of myself, I don't need coddling."

"I'm well aware. However, Zoe was right in her concerns. You were manipulated once. We can't have it happening again."

"We could handle it." "The way you handled it at the creek tonight?" Percy didn't answer. He'd nailed him.

"It was my plan, MY choices." Gohan protested. Chiron nodded.

"Yes, it was. I will admit I was impressed. Especially since we finally won against the Hunters. But I hope you also learned about the difficulties of being a leader. How your choices have consequences, both good and bad. Sometimes, the price of victory is too high a cost. Remember, there's a difference between winning a battle and winning a war." Both boys were silent at that.

"Perhaps it is for the best," Chiron mused. "You can go home to your mother for the holidays, Percy. And perhaps she would be willing to allow Gohan to stay with you as well. If we need either of you, we can call."

"Yeah," Percy said. "Maybe."

"You two should return to the cabin before the harpies come out."

Percy pulled Riptide out of his pocket and balanced it on his hand. It didn't seem that he'd be using it for anything but writing Christmas cards.

When he saw the pen, Chiron grimaced. "It's no wonder Zoe doesn't want you along, I suppose. Not while you're carrying that particular weapon."

"Speaking of Zoe hating things, something you forget to mention?" Chiron gave Gohan a questioning look.

"Her hatred of Otherworlders? From the way she talks, it sounds like she had a bad experience with one. Have Otherworlders been here before?" Chiron was silent.

"That… is not my story to tell ."

Gohan wanted to ask him about that, but then he pulled a golden drachma from his saddlebag and tossed it to Percy. "Call your mother, Percy. Let her know you're coming home in the morning. And, ah, for what it's worth... I almost volunteered for this quest myself."

"You can do that?"

"Yes, Gohan, I can. I would have gone, if not for the last line."

" _One shall perish by a parent's hand_. Yeah."

" _A line I'm completely safe from."_ Gohan rolled his eyes.

They didn't need to ask. Chiron's dad was Kronos, the evil Titan Lord himself. The line would make perfect sense if Chiron went on the quest. Kronos didn't care for anyone, including his own children.

"Chiron," Percy said. "You know what this Titan's curse is, don't you?"

His face darkened. He made a claw over his heart and pushed outward—an ancient gesture for warding off evil. "Let us hope the prophecy does not mean what I think. Now, good night, Percy. And your time will come. I'm convinced of that. There's no need to rush." What alarmed Gohan was the look in his eyes. Chiron trotted off, leaving the boys along. Percy sighed as he trudged towards his cabin, Gohan behind him.

"Why do adults always think hiding the truth is a good idea? Why can't Chiron just be straight with us?"

"Because he thinks he's protecting us. Even if it is misguided." Gohan answered as they reached the cabin. Just then, Gohan's stomach grumbled.

"Dang. I'm gonna try and sneak a nighttime snack." Percy chuckled at that.

"Good luck with that. Mr. D is already pissed with you, no reason to make it worse."

"I'll bring you back some ribs." Gohan laughed as he walked off into the night, leave ng Percy alone.

Gohan whistled as he jogged down from the cabin towards the Big House. He missed sensu beans. Those did a good job of keeping his stomach full. However, he couldn't shake the frustration and anger he was feeling. So much so, he didn't hear when someone called his name out.

"Gohan!" Gohan yelped when someone tapped his shoulder and whirled in confusion to see Katie Gardner, bundled up in a coat. Gohan was a little surprised, to say the least.

"Ummm… hi, Katie. What's up?"

"Well… I heard you missed dinner, so…" To Gohan's shock, she pulled out a rack of ribs.

"They're a little cold, but…" Gohan didn't even wait, taking the plate and wolfing the ribs down.

"Mmmmm! Thanks."

"You're… welcome." She answered awkwardly as she watched Gohan wipe his face with a napkin.

"Do you always have a napkin in your pocket?"

"You never know when you need to eat." Then, a curious expression came over his face.

"Pardon me for asking, but why are you out here?" A nervous expression came over Katie's face.

"What do you mean? I just wanted to bring you food."

"At night? With the harpies out? Even though we really haven't interacted that much?" Katie shuffled nervously on her feet. Finally, she just blurted it out.

"Okay, fine. I don't want to go on this blasted quest!" Gohan blinked in surprise. Though, a smart part of him was cheering. He had a funny feeling that this was coming, especially given the way Katie had acted at the meeting.

"It's not that I'm a coward. I'm not. I train and fight like everyone else, and I've been doing it for years. I've fought my fair share of monsters. But, I basically got forced into this quest because I'm a girl. And that pisses me off."

"I can imagine."

"Yeah. What pisses me off even more than that is that I might die because Zoe Nightshade is an asshole feminist who refuses to acknowledge that boys can be just as good as she is. Even better, like you. We wouldn't have won today if it hadn't been for your plan."

"Come on-"

"Seriously!" Katie pressed, her eyes blazing.

"You saw what happened! Percy and Thalia almost tore each other to pieces. The Hunters would have made mincemeat out of us if not for your quick thinking." Gohan smiled.

"Thanks."

"We didn't say it back there at the meeting in front of Chiron and Zoe, but we all agreed you should be the third camper on this quest. Not me." Gohan's face blushed with embarrassment.

"Plus, you should be the one to save Annabeth." That made Gohan's face flush even more red.

"Ummm… I don't know wha-"

"Oh, save it. The way you two act is so silly that it's adorable. Bit of advice, Gohan. There's a reason we live the way we do. If you feel a certain way, you should say it before it's too late." Gohan wasn't sure his face could turn redder than it already was. People seemed to keep telling him that. But, Gohan decided to change the subject.

"So, you don't want to do it. How are you gonna tell Zoe that you're out?" Katie smirked.

"That's your plan. And I know you have one. I saw the look on your face earlier. That's why you didn't say anything, because you'd already made up your mind."

"Am I that predictable?"

"Yes. Now spill it." Gohan smiled.

"You might not like it."

Percy stood at the saltwater spring, rubbing Chiron's coin in his hand and trying to figure out what to say to his mom. He really wasn't in the mood to have one more adult tell him that doing nothing was the greatest thing he could do, but he figured his mom deserved an update.

Finally, he took a deep breath and threw in the coin. "O goddess, accept my offering."

The mist shimmered. The light from the bathroom was just enough to make a faint rainbow.

"Show me Sally Jackson," he said. "Upper East Side, Manhattan."

And there in the mist was a scene Percy did not expect. His mom was sitting at their kitchen table with some... guy. They were laughing hysterically. There was a big stack of textbooks between them. The man was thirty-something, with longish salt-and-pepper hair and a brown jacket over a black T-shirt. He looked like an actor—like a guy who might play an undercover cop on television.

Percy was too stunned to say anything, and fortunately, his mom and the guy were too busy laughing to notice my Iris-message.

The guy said, "Sally, you're a riot. You want some more wine?" "Ah, I shouldn't. You go ahead if you want." "Actually, I'd better use your bathroom. May I?" "Down the hall," she said, trying not to laugh.

The actor dude smiled and got up and left.

"Mom!" Percy said.

She jumped so hard she almost knocked her textbooks off the table. Finally she focused on him. "Percy! Oh, honey! Is everything okay?"

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

She blinked. "Homework." Then she seemed to understand the look on his face. "Oh, honey, that's just Paul—um, Mr. Blofis. He's in my writing seminar."

"Mr. Blowfish?"

" _Blofis_. He'll be back in a minute, Percy. Tell me what's wrong."

She always knew when something was wrong.

"Things…kinda went off the rails a bit." Percy told her about what had happened at Westover. The other stuff too, but mostly it boiled down to Annabeth and Gohan.

His mother's eyes teared up. He could tell she was trying hard to keep it together for his sake. "Oh, Percy... "

"Yeah."

"How is he doing? I can't imagine how he must feel right now, being forced to do those horrible things." Percy knew his mother was talking about Gohan. She hadn't said it, but ever since she had first met him, Percy's mom had taken a motherly interest in Gohan, almost like taking in a stray. Percy thought part of it was due to her motherly instinct, another due to her feeling she owned Gohan a debt for saving Percy's life. Though, what had surprised Percy the most was how fast she accepted Gohan's story and took him in anyway.

"He's doing as well as he can, but he's not really listening to me. He's brooding more than Jon Snow." That got a dry laugh out of his mother, who was much a fan of the show as he was.

"I can imagine. That poor boy, he must be so worried about her." Percy pressed his lips together at Annabeth's mention.

"So, they tell me there's nothing I can do. I guess I'll be coming home. And they want Gohan to come with me. So, you might want to wrap some chains around the refrigerator."

She turned her pencil around in her fingers. "Percy, as much as I want you to come home"—she sighed like she was mad at herself—"as much as I want you to be safe, I want you to understand something. And I want you to tell Gohan this. You need to do whatever you think you have to."

Percy stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you really, deep down, believe that you have to help save her? Do you think it's the right thing to do? Because I know one thing about you, Percy. Your heart is always in the right place. Listen to it."

"You're... you're telling me to go?"

Percy's mother pursed her lips. "I'm telling you that... you're getting too old for me to tell you what to do. I'm telling you that I'll support you, even if what you decide to do is dangerous. I can't believe I'm saying this."

"Mom—"

The toilet flushed down the hall in their apartment.

"I don't have much time," his mom said. "Percy, whatever you decide, I love you. And I _know_ you'll both do what's best for Annabeth. And I may not be Gohan's mother, but I'm sure that she would be saying the same things to him if she were here now."

"How can you be sure?"

"Well… because we're mothers. We worry about our children, and we raise them the best we can. But… we have to let them do what they think is right, and support them the best we can. We can't coddle them forever, no matter how terrified we are. And I know Annabeth would do the same for both of you."

And with that, his mother waved her hand over the mist, and the connection dissolved, leaving him with one final image of her his mother's friend, Mr. Blowfish, smiling down at her.


	17. Annabeth's Dire Predicament

In the Yellowstone forests, far from the turbulent Camp Half-Blood, another battle raged. A massive plume of smoke rose into the sky, one that made many denizens of the forest, nature spirits, satyrs and animals, flee. Later, the news would claim that it was a freak lightning strike, another trick of the mist. But, the nature spirits fleeing knew the truth.

Artemis, the goddess of Hunt, was in battle.

In a nearby clearing, Artemis panted as she backflipped, narrowly missing two arrows and a bright yellow beam that smashed through a tree, blasting it into pieces.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she cursed. After millennia upon millennia of life, she couldn't believe she had walked into such an obvious trap. They had been waiting for her, and had attacked her all at once. A figure materialized in front of her, covered head to toe in black armor with a red boar emblazoned on its chest, roaring as he swung a double-bladed axe down on her. The goddess spun, deflecting the blade as she ducked under the armored man, knocking him in front of her. He let out a roar of pain as several arrows sank into his chest, bending over, crumpling to the ground. It was rather a embarrassing and hilarious sight, seeing such an intimidating figure humiliated by a seemingly middle-school girl.

"Together, damn it! Stop rushing her one at a time!" a voice roared nearby. Artemis notched an arrow as she leaped over the boy, seeing an armored pair of girls rush her, arrows notched in their bows. One of them, she noticed, was the girl from before who had murdered one of her hunters. The false Apollo. Abigail, she had called herself.

"She's mine!" the two unleashed a flurry of arrows, flying like lightning. Artemis was almost like a blur of silver light, flicking as the arrows missed her, embedding in the trees behind her. In almost slow motion, she spun in mid-air as she fired her own wave of sleek silver arrows, several of which managed to hit their targets.

Then, just as Artemis landed on the ground, something materialized behind her and swung into the side of her face, sending her flying. She bounced over the ground like a skipping rock on water before colliding with a tree, which exploded into splinters. Artemis grunted as she leaped to her feet, jumping aside just as a fist sank into the ground where her head had been milliseconds ago. The goddess whirled with her knifes aloft and was met with a shocking sight. It was like looking at a vile, humanoid insect.

"What are you?" she spoke. The figure turned, its red eyes gleaming as sparks danced over its body. Cell smiled as a black aura flared around him, dancing like a satanic fire.

"Your worst nightmare." Then, a purple beam shot out of his finger, missing her by inches. The goddess darted forward, her knives gleaming. She leaped over Cell's outreached arm and plunged her knives into his chest. Using the momentum, she flipped over and slashed down his back. The android grunted in surprise, whirling as he lunged for her. Artemis was like a blur of silver light, dancing all around cell. In less than a minute, she had slashed him almost three dozen times, leaving deep cuts all over his body.

Cell roared as he fired off a pair of bright yellow beams from his eyes. But, the Goddess simply slid beneath and fired an arrow. Cell bellowed in rage as it plunged into his eye, stumbling back as purple blood dripped from him. Artemis smirked.

"Submit, beast!" Artemis demanded as her eyes gleamed. After she all, she was a goddess. Goddess of the Hunt. And this thing was another beast for her to slay. However, she was then baffled by a deep chuckle coming from the beast.

"I expected more." Then, Cell reached up and ripped the arrow from his eye. Then, Artemis was shocked to see all of the monster's cuts suddenly knit together, leaving him seemingly uninjured. Cell then cocked his head and smiled.

"My turn." Then, Artemis lurched forward as Cell's elbow embedded itself in her stomach, gasping as golden blood dripped from her mothed. She flew backwards like a comet, leaving a trail of broken trees. Cell then reappeared above her and slammed his foot into her back, sending her plummeting into the ground, leaving a massive crater in the ground. Artemis gasped as she struggled to stand, dirt crumbling off her. She was in disbelief. Two hits? Impossible! Nothing could damage her that badly! Not even the other gods! Them it reappeared over her, looking down with a smirk.

"A shame they need you intact." Then, it swung downwards, and she was met with nothing but black.

Annabeth was kneeling under the weight of a dark mass that looked like a pile of boulders. She was too tired even to cry out. Her legs trembled. Any second, she would run out of strength and the cavern ceiling would collapse on top of her. She let out a moan. It couldn't end. Not like this!

"How is our mortal guest?" a male voice boomed. Annabeth couldn't even look up to see who was speaking.

It wasn't Kronos. Kronos's voice was raspy and metallic, like a knife scraped across stone. _This_ voice was deeper and lower, like a bass guitar. Its force made the ground vibrate.

Luke emerged from the shadows. Annabeth would have screamed something if she wasn't so utterly exhausted. Why wouldn't Luke listen to her?

He ran to Annabeth, knelt beside her, then looked back at the unseen man. "She's fading. We must hurry."

The deep voice chuckled. It belonged to someone in the shadows, at the edge of his dream. Then, the ground shook as something landed on the ground, so strong that it apparently unleashed a rush of wind.

"You took long enough." The deep voice chuckled. He was met with a voice that Annabeth remembered all too well.

"It was all too easy." A figure emerged into the light, and she let out a shocked gasp. She recognized the figure all too well. Granted, she had never seen his face, only cloaked and in shadow- but her short experience had left him with a burned-in memory. This was Luke's partner: the one that had put him up to all of it: betraying the camp, stealing the master bolt, rebelling against the gods. Annabeth wanted to scream, warn Luke to run away. But all those thoughts faded when she saw what Luke's partner was dragging: the beaten and broken form of Artemis. She looked like she had gone through the ringer. Her silvery dress was torn and tattered. Her face and arms were cut in several places, and she was bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods. Her hands were bound in golden chains.

"You heard the boy," said the man in the shadows. "Decide!"

Artemis's eyes flashed with anger. Percy didn't know why she just didn't will the chains to burst, or make herself disappear, but she didn't seem able to. Maybe the chains prevented her, or some magic about this dark, horrible place.

The goddess looked at Annabeth and her expression changed to concern and outrage. "How dare you torture a maiden like this!"

"She will die soon," Luke said. "You can save her."

"Don't!" Annabeth tried to scream, but was only able to make a weak sound of protest.

"Free my hands," Artemis said.

Luke brought out his sword, Backbiter. With one expert strike, he broke the goddess's handcuffs.

Artemis ran to Annabeth and took the burden from her shoulders. Annabeth collapsed on the ground and lay there shivering. Artemis staggered, trying to support the weight of the black rocks. Despite feeling the massive relief of finally being free by the burden, Annabeth was not feeling better in the slightest.

"No!" Annabeth screamed mentally, every bone in her body on fire.

The man in the shadows chuckled. "You are as predictable as you were easy to beat, Artemis."

"You surprised me," the goddess said, straining under her burden. "It will not happen again."

"Indeed it will not," the man said. "Now you are out of the way for good! I knew you could not resist helping a young maiden. That is, after all, your specialty, my dear."

Artemis groaned "You know nothing of mercy, you swine. Now you've gotten savage beasts doing your dirty work?" a roar of laughter erupted from Luke's partner.

"You're a fool if you think I work for him."

"On that," the man said, "we can agree. Luke, you may kill the girl now." Annabeth shuddered as her heart was suddenly gripped by a chill. "No!'" Artemis shouted. But to Annabeth's shock, it was Luke's partner who spoke up in her defense.

"Absolutely not."

"You question me?" Luke's partner strode up to her, until he was standing over. Annabeth shuddered as he tried to avoid that malevolent gaze.

"This girl is valuable. They care for her. They will come for her. Plus… we always need more demigods for our experiments." Luke jumped in at that point.

"Yes! They'll come! Without a doubt!"

"No!" Annabeth tried to scream. She refused to be used like this! Not like some little pawn to drag everyone into a trap!

"You will never find the monster you seek," Artemis said. "Your plan will fail."

"How little you know, my young goddess," the man in the shadows said. "Even now, your darling attendants begin their quest to find you. They shall play directly into my hands. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a long journey to make. We must greet your Hunters and make sure their quest is... challenging."

The man's laughter echoed in the darkness. Annabeth let out a tiny moan as Luke's partner turned her over with his foot.

"Get… away… from… me…" Annabeth hissed, struggling to move. Her body was screaming in pain. A smile came across his face.

"Oh… no, I'm afraid not. I can't allow you to die. Not yet. Not when there's so much to be done." He reached down and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

"After all, my dear… we have so much to discuss." Annabeth let out a tiny groan, the fatigue finally getting to her. As she slumped unconscious, the last thing she saw was a gleaming pair of red eyes and a twisted smile


	18. Underwater Excursions and Eavesdropping

**Hi everyone! Sorry if this chapter was a bit delayed, I was doing a Marvel binge in preparation for Infinity War. Which I just got back from. And… wow. That film was amazing. I'm not spoiling anything, but if you haven't seen it yet, do it.**

 **Personally, Thanos is one of my favorite Marvel villians of all time, and Infinity Gauntlet is in my top 10 Marvel events. I** **'** **ll admit, I** **'** **ve even based a bit of Cell** **'** **s character from Thanos. Anyway, back to the story.**

To someone looking from a distance, Camp Half-Blood looked peaceful. The sun hadn't yet emerged on the horizon, draping the camp in a shroud of darkness. The campers should have all been in bed, especially given the threat of the harpies prowling around that were authorized by Mr. D to eat any campers out of bed. Fortunately, no one had suffered this fate. Yet, however, on this night, camp was much more active at night than usual. At Thalia's tree, Peleus suddenly perked up his head, alert as smoke hissed from his nostrils. Something had startled him. However, as far as the dragon could see, nothing was there. He snorted, waving his head around. Finally, he let out a grumble as he settled his head back down and went to sleep. However, as he slept, the air shimmered next to him as something passed him, heading towards the camp unseen.

Percy woke with a start. He was sure he'd heard a loud banging. He looked around the cabin. It was dark outside. The salt spring still gurgled. No other sounds but the hoot of an owl in the woods and the distant surf on the beach. In the moonlight, on his nightstand was Annabeth's New York Yankees cap. Then, Percy noticed something else that alarmed him: he couldn't hear Gohan snoring. He immediately turned and put the light on. It only confirmed what Percy feared: Gohan wasn't in the cabin. He had never come back from his dinner run. Percy had a sinking feeling in his gut. Had Gohan run off alone to save Annabeth?

"Oh, son of a"

BANG BANG.

Someone, or something, was pounding on Percy's door. He grabbed Riptide and got out of bed.

"Gohan, is that you?" Percy called. THUMP. THUMP. Percy crept to the door.

"This isn't funny!"

Percy uncapped the blade, flung open the door, and found himself face-to-face with a black pegasus.

 _Whoa, boss_! Its voice spoke in Percy's mind as it clopped away from the sword blade. _I don't wanna be a horse-ke-bob_!"

"Whoa! You're not Gohan!"

Its black wings spread in alarm, and the wind buffeted Percy back a step, "Blackjack," Percy said, relieved but a little irritated. "It's the middle of the night!" Blackjack huffed. _Ain't either, boss. It's five in the morning. What you still sleeping for_? "How many times have I told you? Don't call me boss."

 _Whatever you say, boss. You're the man. You're my number one_. Percy rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and tried not to let the pegasus read his thoughts.

"Hey, have you seen Gohan?" the horse cocked his head.

" _Monkey boy?_ _I think I saw him earlier with a girl heading towards the beach."_

"A girl? The beach? What'd she look like? And don't call him that."

" _I couldn_ _'_ _t tell. It was dark."_

"Blackjack," Percy sighed, "you're supposed to stay in the stables."

 _Meh, the stables. You see Chiron staying in the stables?_

"Well... no."

 _Exactly. Listen, we got another little sea friend needs your help._

"Again?"

 _Yeah. I told the hippocampi I'd come get you._

Percy groaned. Anytime he was anywhere near the beach, the hippocampi would ask him to help them with their problems. And they had a lot of problems. Beached whales, porpoises caught in fishing nets, mermaids with hangnails—they'd call Percy to come underwater and help.

"All right," Percy said. "I'm coming."

 _You're the best, boss._

"And don't call me boss!"

Blackjack whinnied softly. It might've been a laugh.

Percy grumbled in frustration. Well, it seems he had to go to the beach anyway to drag Gohan back to the cabin before they BOTH got back into trouble. What the heck was he doing down there with a girl? And which girl was it? Thalia?

Percy looked back at his comfortable bed, one of the only things spared from the mess Gohan had made during his stay during the off season. Apparently, Gohan's mother had been a bit of a neatfreak during his childhood. So… Gohan had understandably gone a bit lazy without his mother barking at him.

Percy's bronze shield still hung on the wall, dented and unusable. Gohan's fistmark could still be seen in the center.

And on his nightstand was Annabeth's magic Yankees cap. On an impulse, he stuck the cap in his pocket.

Blackjack gave him a ride down the beach, and he had to admit it was cool. Being on a flying horse, skimming over the waves at a hundred miles an hour with the wind in his hair and the sea spray in his face—hey, it beats waterskiing any day. Percy wondered sometimes if Gohan felt the same way when he flew: that was one of the things about Gohan Percy was jealous of, being able to fly whenever he wanted, like in the Superman comics he had read when he was little though in retrospect, one would think Percy's favorite comic hero would be Aquaman, not Superman. But, some things were not to be. Even if Percy could fly, he wouldn't make it ten feet off the ground before Zeus blasted him into molecules. The only exception to this seemed to be riding on the Pegasus, maybe since Poseidon had created the first horses. Evolution be dammed, apparently.

 _Here_. Blackjack slowed and turned in a circle. _Straight down_.

"Thanks." Percy tumbled off his back and plunged into the icy sea, shooting down into the darkness.

Twenty, thirty, forty feet.

As Percy got closer to the bottom, he saw three hippocampi—fish-tailed horses—swimming in a circle around an overturned boat. The hippocampi were beautiful to watch. Their fish tails shimmered in rainbow colors, glowing phosphorescent. Their manes were white, and they were galloping through the water the way nervous horses do in a thunderstorm. Something was upsetting them.

Percy got closer and saw the problem. A dark shape—some kind of animal—was wedged halfway under the boat and tangled in a fishing net, one of those big nets they use on trawlers to catch everything at once. Percy hated those things. It was bad enough they drowned porpoises and dolphins, but they also occasionally caught mythological animals. When the nets got tangled, some lazy fishermen would just cut them loose and let the trapped animals die. Percy saw those things in nature documentaries all the time, but seeing it in person was even worse.

Apparently, this poor creature had been mucking around on the bottom of Long Island Sound and had somehow gotten itself tangled in the net of this sunken fishing boat. It had tried to get out and managed to get even more hopelessly stuck, shifting the boat in the process. Now the wreckage of the hull, which was resting against a big rock, was teetering and threatening to collapse on top of the tangled animal.

The hippocampi were swimming around frantically, wanting to help but not sure how. One was trying to chew the net, but hippocampi teeth just aren't meant for cutting rope. Hippocampi are really strong, but they don't have hands, and they're not (shhh) all that smart.

 _Free it, lord_! A hippocampus said when it saw Percy. The others joined in, asking the same thing.

He swam in for a closer look at the tangled creature. At first I thought it was a young hippocampus. He'd rescued several of them before. But then he heard a strange sound, something that did not belong underwater:

"Mooooooo!"

Percy got next to the thing and saw that it was a cow. Not to be confused with sea cows, like manatees and stuff, but an actual cow with the back end of a serpent. The front half was a calf—a baby, with black fur and big, sad brown eyes and a white muzzle—and its back half was a black-and-brown snaky tail with fins running down the top and bottom, like an enormous eel. It would actually pretty cute if it wasn't in such danger.

"Whoa, little guy," Percy said. "Where did you come from?"

The creature looked at him sadly. "Moooo!"

But Percy couldn't understand its thoughts. He only spoke horse.

 _We don't know what it is, lord_ , one of the hippocampi said. _Many strange things are stirring_.

"Yeah," Percy murmured. "So I've heard. With my luck, this thing is probably from a parallel earth where the entire planet is an ocean where all animals are sea hybrids. Maybe a catfish is next."

Percy uncapped Riptide, and the sword grew to full length in his hands, its bronze blade gleaming in the dark.

The cow serpent freaked out and started struggling against the net, its eyes full of terror. "Whoa!" Percy yelled. "I'm not going to hurt you! Just let me cut the net."

But the cow serpent thrashed around and got even more tangled. The boat started to tilt, stirring up the muck on the sea bottom and threatening to topple onto the cow serpent. The hippocampi whinnied in a panic and thrashed in the water, which didn't help.

"Okay, okay!" Percy said. He put away the sword and started speaking as calmly as he could so the hippocampi and the cow serpent would stop panicking. Percy didn't know if it was possible to get stampeded underwater, but he didn't really want to find out. "It's cool. No sword. See? No sword. Calm thoughts. Sea grass. Mama cows. Vegetarianism."

Percy doubted the cow serpent understood what he was saying, but it responded to the tone of his voice. The hippocampi were still skittish, but they stopped swirling around me quite so fast.

 _Free it, lord_! they pleaded. "Yeah," Percy said. "I got that part. I'm thinking." But, Percy wasn't sure what he could do. What could he do if he couldn't cut it free? As it turned out, a solution literally dropped in. It was subtle at first, but then Percy noticed that the area was suddenly getting brighter and brighter. Then, he nearly had a heart attacked when sometime tapped him on the shoulder, whirling to see…

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." It was, to Percy's shock, Gohan. In his Super Saiyan form, and apparently in some type of bubble shield he had formed to give himself air and protect himself from the water pressure. Gohan then waved, like he was at a parade.

"Hey! How'd you find me?" Gohan cocked his head, clearly confused. To clarify, he then pointed at his ears and made a no gesture. Apparently, Gohan's shield blocked his hearing. Which was understandable, given that Gohan couldn't communicate in water. So, Percy had to settle for hand gestures. He pointed at the cow and the net. Gohan nodded, raising a finger. A bright yellow beam shot from his finger and hit the boat, which burst into pieces and floated up, away from the cow.

Then, Gohan went to work on the net, using beams from his fingers to cut through the net like a surgeon. Percy went much more hands on. After Gohan would slice off a piece, Percy would carefully pull it out, removing lead weights and fishing hooks, yanking out knots around the cow serpent's hooves. It took a long while—after all, one wrong move could have skewered the cow like a sheskabob. The whole time, Percy kept talking to the cow fish, telling her everything was okay while she mooed and moaned.

"It's okay, Bessie," Percy said. "Good cow. Nice cow."

Finally, the net came off and the cow serpent zipped through the water and did a happy somersault.

The hippocampi whinnied with joy. _Thank you, lord_!

"Moooo!"The cow serpent nuzzled Percy and gave him the big brown eyes. She tried to nuzzle Gohan, but bounced off his shield.

"Yeah," Percy said. "That's okay. Nice cow. Well... stay out of trouble." Gohan gestured up and shot up towards the surface.

Percy followed and broke through the ocean. Immediately, Blackjack zoomed down and let him catch hold of his neck. He lifted Percy into the air and took me back toward the shore. Gohan followed.

" _Boss, looks like you found monkey boy!_ _"_

"Hah. He found me. I'm pretty sure he went past you."

" _Whatever. So_ _…_ _success, then_?

"Yeah. We rescued a baby... something or other. Took forever. Almost got stampeded."

 _Good deeds are always dangerous, boss. You saved my sorry mane, didn't you?_

"Just put me down on the beach." Blackjack obeyed, landing on the sand. Blackjack then took off, vanishing into the night. Gohan landed next to him with a soft thump, still in his SSJ form. This was another thing Percy never got used to. Just the sheer difference in the way he looked and acted. However, that image popped the second Gohan started groaning and stuck his fingers in his ears, twisting them around in an attempt to adjust to the change in pressure.

"Ahhhhh! This sucks."

"Just where the heck have you been?" Percy demanded.

"I had a few things to sort out. I saw you fly by on Blackjack, so I followed. Good thing I did."

"I don't need your help for everything. Especially ocean related matters."

"Well, seems we needed each other back there. Was that a cow?"

"Half cow. I have no idea what it is. Anyway, I seem to be the only voice of reason around here, you jumping the gun and running off into the night." Gohan simply cocked his head, as if something else had caught his interest.

However, it seemed that something had caught Gohan's attention, ducking under Percy's arm and darting towards the dining area.

"What are you doing?" Percy hissed, following the young Otherworlder. Gohan had had to make sure. And sure enough, his eyes hadn't been lying to him. He saw a figure—a boy hunkered down behind a Greek column, like he was hiding from someone.

It was Nico, but it wasn't even dawn yet. Nowhere near time for breakfast. What was he doing up there?

"Nico? Oh great, it seems that everyone is out of bed tonight." Percy rolled his eyes.

Before Gohan could call out and ask " _What are you doing_?" real loud, when Gohan's ears caught other voices—two girls talking at one of the dining tables. At this ungodly hour of the morning? Well, unless you're the goddess of dawn, he guessed. It seemed that EVERYONE was out of bed tonight.

"Can you hear them?" Gohan nodded. Then, to his surprise, Percy took Annabeth's magic cap out of his pocket and put it on, vanishing on the spot.

"You took that?" Gohan rolled his eyes before turning to listen.

He couldn't see the girls very well in the dark, but I knew their voices: Zoe and Bianca. It sounded like they were arguing.

"Are you serious?" Bianca was asking.

"Yes. Several satyrs just brought her up from the beach moments ago. Apparently, the Demeter girl had left her cabin and was walking alongside the beach, and was struck by a large wave from the ocean. Soaked to the bone from head to foot."

"And she was injured?"

"Yes. She claims she broke her ankle. Though it seems more like she twisted it. Whichever it is, she cannot come with us."

"Seriously? And Phoebe?"

"Even worse. It _cannot_ be cured, Not quickly, at any rate."

"But how did it happen?" Bianca asked.

"A foolish prank," Zoe growled. "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid. Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of that Artemis Hunting Tour T-shirt with it."

"That's terrible!"

"She will live," Zoe said. "But she'll be bedridden for weeks with horrible hives. There is no way she can go. It's up to me... and thee."

"Is this quest cursed or something?" Bianca asked.

"I will admit that it seems so. But this changes nothing. We must go."

"But the prophecy," Bianca said. "If Phoebe and Katie can't go, we only have three. We'll have to pick two others."

"There is no time," Zoe said. "We must leave at first light. That's immediately. Besides, the prophecy said we would lose two."

"In the land without rain and to a wall of water," Bianca said, "but that can't be here."

"It might be," Zoe said, though she didn't sound convinced. "The camp has magic borders. Nothing, not even weather, is allowed in without permission. It _could_ be a land without rain."

"And the wave? You just said it yourself! Weather isn't allowed in without permission. So how'd it get here?"

"Bianca, hear me." Zoe's voice was strained. "I... I can't explain, but I have a sense that we should _not_ pick someone else. It would be too dangerous. They would meet an end worse than Phoebe's or the Demeter girl's. I don't want Chiron choosing a camper as our fifth companion. And... I don't want to risk anymore Hunters."

Bianca was silent. "What do you think it meant? The false owl?"

"I do not know. The owl is Athena's symbol, so perhaps something with her. We do not have time to press the issue. We must prepare to leave."

"You should tell Thalia the rest of your dream."

"No. It would not help."

"But if your suspicions are correct, about the General—"

"I have thy word not to talk about that," Zoe said. She sounded really anguished. "We will find out soon enough."

"You're afraid." It was a statement, not a question. Zoe hesitated, clearly teetering on responding or not.

"I… cannot tell you what I fear, Bianca. This Otherworlder is just the beginning. But I fear that he will not be the last. And those who follow will not be as friendly. This is how it started before, Bianca. The same signs."

"This stuff happened before?" Bianca asked.

"Yes. And it ended in death. So much death and devastation, the likes which this world had never seen since. I pray this is only the Titans and not… something worse."

"What could be worse?" Zoe was silent.

"Come. Dawn is breaking."

Nico scooted out of their way. Gohan ducked back before Nico could see him.

As the girls sprinted down the steps, Zoe froze, her eyes narrowing. Her hand crept toward her bow, but then Bianca said, "The lights of the Big House are on. Hurry!"

And Zoe followed her out of the pavilion.

Gohan knew exactly what Nico was thinking. He took a deep breath and was about to run after his sister when Gohan reached out and grabbed him, nearly giving Nico a heart attack.

"Don't." Nico's eyes widened.

"Listen to him, Nico." Nico's jaw dropped when Percy materialized out of thin air.

"Gohan! Percy!" He almost slipped on the icy steps as he spun around to look at them. "Where did you guys come from?"

"I dropped in, literally."

"I've been here the whole time. Invisible."

He mouthed the word _invisible_. "Wow. Cool. And flying? It looks totally awesome."

"It is. Look, how did you know Zoe and your sister were here? Were you spying on them?"

He blushed. "I heard them walk by the Hermes cabin. I don't... I don't sleep too well at camp. So I heard footsteps, and them whispering. And so I kind of followed."

"And now you're thinking about following them on the quest," Gohan guessed. "How did you know that?"

"Because if it was my sister, I'd probably be thinking the same thing. But you can't."

He looked defiant. "Because I'm too young? What about all those stories you told me about your adventures? You were younger than me in some of them!"

"Well, I had my dad and his friends with me the whole time. And I have abilities. You don't."

"But-!"

"And because they won't let you, Nico. They'll catch you and send you back here. And... yeah, because you're too young. You remember the manticore? There will be lots more like that. Things even worse. I'm super powerful, and even I've nearly died on this quest more times than I can count. And this quest is even more dangerous than those. More dangerous. Some of the heroes will die."

He shoulders sagged. He shifted from foot to foot. "Maybe you're right. But, but _you_ can go for me."

"Say what?"

"You're super powerful! You're like Superman! You save people! You can go!"

"Nico, the Hunters don't like boys," Percy butted in. "If they find out—"

"Then don't let them find out. Follow them. Keep an eye on my sister! You have to. Please?" Gohan's face softened. Nico's pleading sounded familiar. Very familiar.

"Nico—"

"Oh please! You're both planning to go anyway, aren't you?"

Gohan traded looks with Percy. Neither boy said anything, but the look they traded said the same thing. Gohan sighed, placing a hand on Nico's shoulder.

"Of course I'm going. I have to find Annabeth, and I need to fix my mistakes. I have to help, even if they don't want me to."

"I won't tell on you," he said. "But you guys have to promise to keep my sister safe." Percy swallowed nervously.

"I... that's a big thing to promise, Nico, on a trip like this. Besides, she's got Zoe, Grover, and Thalia—"

"Of course we will. I won't let you down." Gohan smiled. Percy looked at him, clearly nervous.

"Get going, then!" he said. "Good luck!" Gohan grinned as he patted Percy on the shoulder.

"Cover for us, will you? You should get back to the cabin." Nico nodded

"I'll make something up." Nico smiled crookedly. "I'm good at that. Go on!" He then took off, sprinting towards the cabins.

"What are you doing?" Percy demanded. Gohan simply grinned.

"We don't have anything packed, we don't have a plan!" Gohan laughed as he pulled Percy closer to him

"I know! Man, I've missed this! We're off on another whirlwind adventure!" Then, to Percy's horror, Gohan jumped, still clutching Percy.

They landed on the top of Half-Blood Hill in time to see the camp's van disappearing down the farm road, probably Argus taking the quest group into the city. After that they would be on their own.

"Well, that's just great!" Percy complained.

"Don't worry. I can carry you."

"No way! There's gotta be another way!"

Then, fate seemed to answer Percy's message. They heard the beating of huge wings. Blackjack landed next to him. He began casually nuzzling a few tufts of grass that stuck through the ice.

"Well, that was convenient." Gohan grinned. Blackjack neighed, looking at Percy.

 _If I was guessing, boss, I'd say you need a getaway horse. You interested?_

Percy smirked, looking at Gohan.

"All right, let's do this."


	19. Grim Omens and Boiling Tensions

Chiron sighed as he stood in front to the door of Cabin Three, his tail swishing anxiously in the dim light. He wasn't looking forward to sending the boys back to Manhattan. He had seen the look in their eyes, the frustration and desire to do something, not sit around. He had seen that look so many times on the faces of so many young men in his thousands of years of training. Especially when women were involved. Chiron shook his head. So much was happening. Luke's betrayal, this new ploy by Kronos, Gohan's arrival, Annabeth's capture, the prophecy in motion, these new foes that seemed to replicate the abilities of the gods… yes, Chiron had much to worry about these days. Admittingly, Chiron had thought at first that he was being too protective of the boys given everything that was going on. They were heroes, after all. They needed to be strong to face the horrors of the world, and coddling them could backfire in that regard. However, after what had just happened to Pheobe and Katie, he was much more confident in his choice to keep them from joining the quest.

Chiron reached out and knocked on the door.

"Percy? Gohan?" Chiron was met with silence. He knocked again, but was still met no response. A sudden chill came over him. Perhaps they were just sleeping. But…

Chiron puled the door open and stepped in. Unfortunately, his fears were confirmed, as the cabin was deserted. It looked like Percy had left in a hurry, and Gohan's bed was still made. He hadn't slept in it at all.

"No…" Chiron shook his head. Still, why wasn't he surprised?

"Hmph. It seems that heroes are always reckless." Chiron whirled to see Mr. D, a smug expression on his face.

"Mr. D..." the wine god simply shook his head.

"When will you learn, Chiron? These heroes are nothing more than selfish, careless fools who want to die. And… my oh my. This day just got interesting." Chiron was puzzled for a moment, before following Mr. D's gaze to see what looked like empty courtyard. However, Chiron's trained eyes could see the shimmer, the key that something invisible was there. Chiron had an arrow notched instantly.

"Reveal yourself!" As if by cue, a figure materialized. Chiron was so stunned that he lowered his bow. Out of all the ways he envisioned this day playing out, this was the farthest thought possible.

It was the figure from Westover Hall, the humanoid figure completely covered in a bright silver metallic armor, with pulsing blue lines all across its body. Its head was covered as well, save for a large X on its face. To top it all off, a dark blue cloak fluttered on its back, a stark contrast to the surrounding landscape. The figure didn't speak, merely looking at them like a scientist studying his latest experiment.

"It can't be… he hasn't been here since… since..." Chiron breathed in stunned shock, a feeling of cold fear dropping on him like water. It was like the universe was taunting him. This was an omen.

"Apparently, it is. It seems that this day is full of surprises." Mr. D stroked his chin. Chiron shook his head,

"Dionysus… if The Observer is here, then things are truly more grim than we thought."

* * *

"WOOOOO!" Gohan laughed as he flew through the air. He felt great, the best he had been in days. It was like an uplifting feeling in his chest, purging away the darkness. He could finally fix his mistakes and save Annabeth from Luke. Even better, he was going to prove Mr. D and Zoe wrong. Meanwhile, Percy trailed behind him on Blackjack. Percy… was not having as much fun as Gohan was. Percy watched Gohan streak in front him.

" _Is he challenging me? Because I am way faster than-"_

"No, Blackjack. He's just having fun." Percy sighed in exasperation. Though he wouldn't say it out loud, Percy was pretty sure that Gohan would win in a race against Blackjack hands down. He was just that fast.

The thing about flying on a Pegasus, or just plain flying during the daytime is that if you're not careful, one can cause a serious traffic accident on the Long Island Expressway. After all, Gohan wasn't a monster. So… if someone were to look up and see him, they would actually see him flying, which would likely cause a bit of chaos. So, the boys stayed up in the clouds, which were, fortunately, pretty low in the winter. Thankfully, they were able to keep pace with the van. Thanks in large part to Gohan's sharp vision and speed, he was able to keep steady track on the white Camp Half-Blood van in sight. And if it was cold on the ground, it was seriously cold in the air, with icy rain stinging Percy's skin. Gohan felt the rain as well, but to a much lesser extent, as the aura he was emitting generated an aura of heat that made the water evaporate before it could touch him. Mentally, Gohan made a mental promise to thank Piccolo and his dad(in spirit) for those three years of training him in the mountains while waiting for the androids.

Meanwhile, Percy was wishing he'd brought some of that Camp Half-Blood orange thermal underwear they sold in the camp store, but after the story about Phoebe and the centaur-blood T-shirt, Percy wasn't sure he trusted their products anymore. It was mid-morning before they reached Manhattan. Gohan dropped back, floating next to Percy.

"Man, traffic is horrible down there." Gohan observed

"It's the holidays. Everyone comes into the city for the holidays. And then there's the tourists. I hate going outside this time of year. Cold and crowded."

They landed near the top of the Chrysler Building and watched the white camp van weave through traffic.

"I never get tired of looking at it."

"What?"

"The city. All of it. Just… the sheer scale of it. I mean, we have cities back home, but not on this scale. Not even the city where the King of Earth lives is this big." Percy blinked at that.

"Wait… seriously? You have a King of Earth? Like, your entire Earth is ruled by a king? A single guy?"

"Ummm… yeah. King Furry." Percy boggled at that. However, before Percy could continue asking Gohan about his global government, they were distracted by the Camp Half-Blood van. Instead of pulling into the bus station, but it just kept driving.

"Where's Argus taking them?" Percy muttered. _Oh, Argus ain't driving, boss_ , Blackjack told Percy. _That girl is_. "Which girl?" _The Hunter girl. With the silver crown thing in her hair._

"What's he saying? I don't speak horse." Gohan asked. Percy sighed, and then repeated Blackjack's message.

"Is he talking about Zoe? She can drive?"

" _That's the one. Hey, look! There's a donut shop. Can we get something to go?_ _"_

"Now he wants donuts."

"I wouldn't mind donuts too."

"You'd eat the entire shop and still be hungry afterwards!"

Meanwhile, the van kept snaking its way toward the Lincoln Tunnel.

"Well," Percy said. "Let's get after them." Gohan nodded, taking off into the air. Percy took after him, but was… interrupted.

"What the?" Something was curling around his leg like a snake. Percy yelped as he reached for his sword, but when he looked down, there was no snake. Vines—grape vines—had sprouted from the cracks between the stones of the building. They were wrapping around Blackjack's legs, lashing down his ankles so he couldn't move.

"Hey!" Percy yelled, loud enough that Gohan managed to hear him and turn to see Percy tangled in the vines. He whirled ahd zoomed back, but Percy waved him off.

"Don't touch it or you'll get tangled too!"

"Percy! What's going on?"

"So… going somewhere?" Mr. D asked.

He was leaning against the building with his feet levitating in the air, his leopard-skin warm-up suit and black hair whipping around in the wind.

 _God alert_! Blackjack yelled. _It's the wine dude_! Mr. D sighed in exasperation. "The next person, _or horse_ , who calls me the 'wine dude' will end up in a bottle of Merlot!"

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Gohan demanded, turning on Mr. D.

"I wouldn't press me today, punk. I'm not in the mood."

"Mr. D." Percy tried to keep his voice calm as the grape vines continued to wrap around his legs. "What do you want?"

"Oh, what do _I_ want? You thought, perhaps, that the immortal, all-powerful director of camp would not notice you leaving without permission?"

"Well… we figured you'd say no." Gohan shrugged.

"I should throw you off this building, Jefferson, minus the flying horse, and see how heroic you sound on the way down."

Gohan snarled in frustration. He was REALLY starting to lose his temper. He didn't want to pick a fight with Mr. D. Granted, he could catch Percy long before he hit the ground, but the way Mr. D was acting was pissing him off. "Why do you hate us so much? What did we ever do to you? The field thing was over TWO YEARS AGO! Which you fixed in less than a half hour with a wave of your freaking hand!"

Purple flames flickered in his eyes. "You're a hero, boy. I need no other reason. Ever since you arrived here, you've done nothing but flaunt about and boast about how powerful and strong you are, basking and feasting like a king while women throw themselves at you! You are _arrogant_!"

Gohan was literally starting to shake with rage, his teeth clenched so hard that it was a miracle Gohan didn't shatter them.

"You don't get it! We _have_ to go on this quest! I've got to help my friends. That's something you wouldn't understand!" Percy butted in

 _Um, boss_ , Blackjack said nervously. _Seeing as how we're wrapped in vines nine hundred feet in the air, you might want to talk nice_.

The grape vines coiled tighter around Percy. Below them, the white van was getting farther and farther away. Soon it would be out of sight.

"Did I ever tell you about Ariadne?" Mr. D asked. "Beautiful young princess of Crete? She liked helping her friends, too. In fact, she helped a young hero named Theseus, also a son of Poseidon. She gave him a ball of magical yarn that let him find his way out of the Labyrinth. And do you know how Theseus rewarded her?"

"They got married," Percy said. "Happily ever after. The end."

Mr. D sneered. "Not quite. Theseus _said_ he would marry her. He took her aboard his ship and sailed for Athens. Halfway back, on a little island called Naxos, he... What's the word you mortals use today?... he _dumped_ her. I found her there, you know. Alone. Heartbroken. Crying her eyes out. She had given up everything, left everything she knew behind, to help a dashing young hero who tossed her away like a broken sandal."

"That's wrong," Percy said. "But that was thousands of years ago. What's that got to do with me?"

Mr. D regarded him coldly. "I fell in love with Ariadne, boy. I healed her broken heart. And when she died, I made her my immortal wife on Olympus. She waits for me even now. I shall go back to her when I am done with this infernal century of punishment at your ridiculous camp." Then, a peal of cold laughter erupted from Gohan.

"You have a wife?! And here I thought you got in trouble for chasing a wood nymph— some love and loyalty there." Percy groaned as he covered his face. He knew that normally, Gohan would never say that: but when he got angry… he turned into a completely different person.

"Watch your mouth, boy. Or I'll shatter your mind so thoroughly that you'll be a vegetable for the rest of your existence." Mr. D raised his hand, clearly indicating he meant business.

"Nice bluff. Too bad I know that your magic doesn't work on me. Did you think I wouldn't figure that out by now?" Mr. D snorted.

"Even if I can't hurt you magically, there's other ways of inflicting pain. My _point_ is you heroes never change. And you Otherworlders are no different. You just go about it in different ways. You accuse us gods of being vain. You should look at yourselves. You take what you want, use whoever you have to, and then you betray everyone around you. You suck them up for everything and toss them aside when you're done. Just ask that Annie-bell girl-"

That did it. An animalistic scream erupted from behind Percy as a golden blur shot past him and slammed into the god of wine, sending them both flying straight into the adjacent building, showering a shocked Percy and Backjack in plaster and dust. The vines uncurled around their legs, freeing the pegasus.

" _He's mad!"_ Blackjack said.

"Oh, he definitely is. You really, really don't want to get on his bad side." Percy then had a horrible realization. The white truck was moving away fast. He couldn't help Gohan and keep track of the truck. So… Percy had to make a choice.

"Blackjack, follow the truck. Gohan will catch up." Percy wasn't too surprised that Blackjack didn't protest at all with his decision.

"Man… I do not want to be Dionysus right about now."

* * *

The world seemed to blur past Gohan's eyes as he smashed through the building, seeing only blurbs of startled and shocked faces of the people within. Gohan was so angry that he didn't notice the scratches or stings that going through a building would leave. They flew through the other end of the building in a shower of glass and rubble, free-falling over traffic. Gohan stopped in mid-air, but the god of wine wasn't so lucky. He slammed into an 18-wheeler, spraying glass and metal in every direction as the god crashed onto the sidewalk, sending people running off screaming in every direction. Gohan hovered over the ground, his eyes shimmering with rage.

"HAVE YOU LOST ALL SENSES, BOY?!" Dionysus roared as a purple fire danced in his eyes. The ground rumbled around the god. Then, massive grapevines shot out of the ground, arching like tendrils towards the saiyan warrior. Gohan narrowed his eyes as he held up his arms. Then, bright energy formed around his arms, creating a shimmering energy blade. He brought his hands down, slicing through the vines like butter. Dionysus grunted as a sword appeared in his hands, raising it to meet Gohan's attack.

Gohan roared as a golden aura enveloped him, spinning in a golden tornado that reduced the tendrils to shreds. He shot down like a comet, deflecting the god's sword strike with his energy blades, and slamming his feet into the god's chest, slamming him into the ground so hard that the sidewalk shattered around him. He gripped the god's shirt and yanked him up.

"SAY HER NAME!" Gohan smashed Dionysus across the face, sending him flying into a parked car. He then grabbed the car and raised it over his head.

"SAY HER NAME! GET IT RIGHT!" He brought it down in a massive screech of grinding metal. Gohan then tossed the car aside, and smashed the god across the face, before hoisting the god of wine up by one hand, sma. He had looked better, to say the least. His shirt had been torn to ribbons, and golden ichtor leaked out of a dozen different cuts across his body. His eyes were still gleaming purple.

"Fine. Annabeth." He spat her name out like a stale cracker. Gohan let go, dropping the god to the ground with a loud crunch. The god looked up at him, venomous fire dancing in his eyes.

"I could destroy you, boy. I should for the insult you've just delivered me. But I won't. After all, at least half the group is going to die on this quest. I hope you're among them." Gohan didn't respond.

"Know today that you've made an enemy of Dionysus. You think your cause is so noble. But, you're a fool if you think you'll get everything you desire. Remember that the next time you seek aid from the gods." Then, his body began to shimmer. Gohan looked away as the god transformed into his true form, leaving him standing in a wrecked street.


	20. Annabeth's Dilemma

**Hi guys! I know you've waited a long time for an update, and I'm sorry for that. It's just that it's been super intense for me lately. I haven't had much time to focus on this. But I promise, much more is coming soon! Much more of Gohan, Percy and Annabeth! Meanwhile, enjoy this latest installment!**

Time is a strange, fickle concept. If one is enjoying themselves, it seems to pass faster than a snap of the fingers. However, if one is in, say, school, and bored out of their minds, time can move at the speed of a turtle. The same could be said for those in dreaming: time seemed to be both an eternity and an instant at the same time.

To Annabeth Chase, it seemed very much that way. It was like drifting through a fog; and felt like an eternity. She wasn't sure what was a dream and what was real. Her body itself felt numb, and she couldn't move an inch, no matter how hard she tried. All she could remember were bright lights, blurred faces, and faint voices, drifting in and out. All she could catch were snippets.

" _Surprised she's still alive…" Someone nearby laughed, a cold chuckle as a pair of red eyes glittered._

" _Of course, she is. This one is special."_

" _She will be very useful. Oh yes, she will be quite useful indeed."_

 _Faces crowded all around her, warped and distorted. They grew larger and larger, leering and distorting as they swarmed in. Closer and closer…_

Annabeth gasped, shooting up. Her hair fluttered around her shoulders as she gasped, her chest heaving as she took in several deep breaths. She blinked several times before rubbing her eyes, to finally get the blasted white glare out of her eyes. Once her eyes finally adjusted, she looked around, quickly taking in her surroundings. She was in what looked like a, in all definitions, normal room. More like a hospital room, but more… luxurious. And it was completely white. Like, someone sprayed the entire room with white paint. The floor, the walls, the furniture, the lights. Even the bathroom. Which wasn't exactly five stars. There was no television, unfortunately. No windows either. It was very sparse. Only the bare essentials. It made the room feel less like a living room… and more like a prison cell.

"How did I get here? Last I remember…" Then, she remembered. And clenched her teeth together in a combination of anger and grief.

"Luke…"

She groaned as she climbed out of the bed, realizing she was barefoot when she felt the chill of the floor on her soles. She clenched her hands several times. She felt… fine. Actually, she pretty good. Which didn't make any sense, after she had held… that weight. Just to make sure she wasn't dreaming, she pinched herself. And then winched.

"Ow, this is real." Then, she noticed a mirror and walked towards it. However, when she looked at it, she froze. First of all, her clothes had been changed while she had been unconscious.

They were basic scrubs, loose pants and a shirt like you'd find hospital workers or—more fittingly—prisoners wearing. Not very original. They were grey, but the logo at the center was the most curious. A flaming bird with its wings spread. A phoenix maybe?

They'd also given her socks and a pair of brown shoes, kind of a cross between loafers and slippers, and she was surprised at how they had managed to match her size. One small accommodation at least. Her hair had changed as well. For the most part it looked the same, save for one long grey stripe. The apparent price for holding the burden. She supposed that she should be grateful that that was all she had as a scar. Still, she shouldn't relax. She needed to get the heck out of here.

First things first. She immediately inspected the door. Unfortunately, there wasn't any weak spots there. No gaps, no cracks, no flaws. This door was strong. Pure steel. Even if she had her knife, there was no way she could pry the door open. She didn't have Gohan's immense strength, after all.

Unfortunately, the rest of the room was like that was well. Even worse, nothing she could use as a weapon. As Annabeth traced her fingers across the wall, she noticed something. At first glance, it looked like a ceiling light . However, once Annabeth peered more closely, it was... a camera.

"Of course." Annabeth scoffed. No way they would just toss someone like her in a room and not keep an eye on her. After about an hour, she fell back on the couch and grumbled in frustration. Nothing. For someone with a mind as calculating as hers, this was beyond frustrating.

Then, a metal creak made her turn to look at where the door was. A metal slot popped up, and a tray of food slid beneath it, clattering awkwardly on the floor. Annabeth leaned over the couch, giving the food a wary glance. At a first look, nothing seemed odd. It was just a ham and cheese sandwich on white bread with a cup of milk.

Annabeth pressed her lips together as she picked up the sandwich, sniffing it and pulling it apart. No, it seemed like just a sandwich. Still, Annabeth snorted before dropping the sandwich back on the tray and pushed it away, clattering against the wall.

"I'm not hungry!" she shouted. Her voice echoed, before quickly fading out. She kicked the door in frustration, winching as pain shot up her foot. Nothing. Then, she plopped back on the couch and leaned back. Mentally, however, she moaned as she listened to her stomach rumble. She hadn't eaten since her school lunch before getting picked up by Gohan and Percy. Which was probably days ago, since Annabeth had no sense of time at the moment. But she wasn't going to give whoever was watching the satisfaction. She was going to do what she had trained to do. What she was best at. Use her mind, learn as much information as she could, and find a way out.

Nearby, a pair of foes watched an array of monitors, which displayed Annabeth. Luke shifted nervously as she tossed her food aside and kicked the door.

"I'm not hungry! Let me out!"A peal of laughter erupted from next to Luke, causing him to glare in a mixture of anxiety and frustration.

"Quite the stubborn girl. I can see why you all like her so much." Cell grinned, clearly enjoying himself.

"She'll come around. You'll see, I'll convince her. She'd be an invaluable asset."

"I doubt that, but I'll humor you. In the meantime, let the girl simmer, adjust to her new surroundings. You can converse with her when we return. We have a meeting to attend."


	21. A Dark Gathering

Percy continued to chase Zoe, who drove south like a crazy person, and they were into Maryland before she finally pulled over at a rest stop. Blackjack damn near tumbled out of the sky, he was so tired.

 _I'll be okay, boss_ , he panted. _Just... just catching my breath_. "Stay here," Percy told him. "I'm going to scout." _'Stay here' I can handle. I can do that._

Percy put on Annabeth's cap of invisibility and walked over to the convenience store. It was difficult not to sneak. Percy had to keep reminding myself that nobody could see him. It was hard, too, because he had to remember to get out of people's way so they wouldn't slam into me. Not to mention he kept looking over his shoulder, worried that Mr. D would pop up and drag him back to camp. He was worried about Gohan. He hoped he was okay.

Percy thought he'd go inside and warm up, maybe get a cup of hot chocolate or something. Unfortunately, his whole plan was ruined by Zoe, Thalia, Bianca, and Grover all coming out of the store. Even though he was invisible, Percy ducked.

"Grover, are you sure?" Thalia was saying.

"Well... pretty sure. Ninety-nine percent. Okay, eighty-five percent."

"And you did this with acorns?" Bianca asked, like she couldn't believe it.

Grover looked offended. "It's a time-honored tracking spell. I mean, I'm pretty sure I did it right."

"D.C. is about sixty miles from here," Bianca said. "Nico and I..." She frowned. "We used to live there. That's... that's strange. I'd forgotten."

"I dislike this," Zoe said. "We should go straight west. The prophecy said west."

"Oh, like your tracking skills are better?" Thalia growled.

Zoe stepped toward her. "You challenge my skills, you scullion? You know _nothing_ of being a Hunter!"

"Oh, _scullion_ You're calling _me_ a scullion? What the heck is a scullion?"

"Whoa, you two," Grover said nervously. "Come on. Not again!"

"Grover's right," Bianca said. "D.C. is our best bet."

Zoe didn't look convinced, but she nodded reluctantly. "Very well. Let us keep moving."

"You're going to get us arrested with your psycotic driving," Thalia grumbled. "Not to mention I look closer to sixteen than you do."

"Perhaps," Zoe snapped. "But I have been driving since automobiles were invented. Let us go." They walked off. Once they were gone, Percy stepped out.

"Hey Percy, what's shaking?" Percy almost screamed as he jumped, whirling to see Gohan standing next to him. Gohan simply grinned, clearly enjoying Percy's embarrassment.

"Wait…" Percy patted himself and looked down, just to make sure he was still invisible.

"You can see me?" Gohan snorted before snatching the hat from Percy, causing him to rematerialize.

"No, I guessed. Based on the sound of your breathing. And your ki energy. It's very hard to sense, but we've been near each other for so long I know what you feel like. Oh, and Blackjack is over there." Gohan pointed

"I'm not sure if I should feel violated by that statement." Then, Percy remembered something.

"Hold on! What happened to Mr. D?" Gohan whistled, giving off another one of his goofy grins.

"Last time I saw him, he was lying in a crater in the middle of the street with ichtor leaking out of him like an inflatable pool." Percy gaped.

"Wow. I kinda wish I could have seen that."

"I will not lie, it was soooooo satisfying." Percy shifted.

"But… won't you get kicked out of camp?" Gohan shrugged.

"We'll see what happens when we get there. Annabeth needs us. Nothing else matters." Percy could just feel the determination radiating from Gohan. Why couldn't Percy look that badass when making a statement?

"Come on, let's keep chasing Zoe. Fill me in on the way."

As Gohan and Percy continued south, following the van, Percy wondered whether Zoe had been kidding.

"How old _is_ Zoe, you think? I mean, I don't know exactly when cars were invented, but I figure that was like prehistoric times—back when people watched black-and-white TV and hunted dinosaurs." Percy frowned when Gohan let out a peal of laughter.

"First of all, hunted dinosaurs? Really? There actually are dinosaurs still alive in my universe, and even I know how silly that sounds!" Percy blushed in embarrassment.

"Come on, man." Gohan laughed.

"Sorry, man, but I couldn't help it! You set yourself up for that one."

"ANYWAY… what do you think Mr. D been talking about? What bad experience had Zoe had with heroes?" Gohan pondered that for a minute, flying in a laid-back position.

"You know, I've read a lot of those mythology stories since I first learned about all this. And quite frankly… a lot of those guys were jerks or just got flat out screwed over. Or did the screwing themselves.

As they got closer to Washington, Blackjack started slowing down and dropping altitude. He was breathing heavily.

"Hey Percy, your pegasus doesn't look so good."

"You okay?" Percy asked Blackjack.

" _Fine, boss. I could... I could take on an army."_

And suddenly Percy felt guilty, because he'd been running the pegasus for half a day, nonstop, trying to keep up with highway traffic and Gohan's flying. Even for a flying horse, that had to be rough.

 _Don't worry about me, boss! I'm a tough one._

Percy figured he was right, but he also figured Blackjack would run himself into the ground before he complained, and he didn't want that.

"I can carry you, you know!" Gohan called out. Blackjack snorted.

" _I'm fine, boss! No need to be carried by a flying monkey!"_ Percy almost burst out laughing at that reference.

"Wha'd he say?" Gohan asked curiously

Fortunately, the van started to slow down. It crossed the Potomac River into central Washington. Percy noticed that Gohan had an odd expression on his face as they flew into the city.

"What's with you?"

"It's… errr… nothing."

"Set me down there," Percy told Blackjack. "That's close enough."

Blackjack was so tired he didn't complain. He dropped toward the Washington Monument and set him on the grass. Gohan landed next to him, the blue aura around him vanishing in a flash. Of course, no one looked shocked or reacted at the sight of two boys flying in from the sky. The mist sure worked its magic, didn't it?"

The van was only a few blocks away. Zoe had parked at the curb.

Percy looked at Blackjack. "I want you to go back to camp. Get some rest. Graze. I'll be fine."

Blackjack cocked his head skeptically. _You sure, boss_?

"You've done enough already," Percy said. "I'll be fine. Gohan's with me. And thanks a ton."

 _A ton of hay, maybe_ , Blackjack mused. _That sounds good. All right, but be careful, boss. I got a feeling they didn't come here to meet anything friendly and handsome like me_. Then Blackjack took off, circling twice around the monument before disappearing into the clouds. Percy turned to see Gohan looking up at the Washington Monument.

"What's with you? In awe? I guess you don't have something like this back in your home, huh?"

"Just remembering. I had a… strange experience last time I was here." Percy looked surprised.

"Oh, what were you doing? Visiting?" Gohan shuffled nervously.

"You… could say that."

Percy looked over at the white van. Everybody was getting out. Grover pointed toward one of the big buildings lining the Mall. Thalia nodded, and the four of them trudged off into the cold wind.

Percy started to follow. But then he froze when Gohan grabbed him.

"Percy." He followed Gohan's finger and paled.

A block away, the door of a black sedan opened. A man with gray hair and a military buzz cut got out. He was wearing dark shades and a black overcoat. Now, maybe in Washington, you'd expected guys like that to be everywhere. But it dawned on Percy that he'd seen this same car a couple of times on the highway, going south. It had been following the van.

The guy took out his mobile phone and said something into it. Then he looked around, like he was making sure the coast was clear, and started walking down the Mall in the direction of his friends.

The worst of it was: when he turned toward them, they recognized his face. It was Dr. Thorn, the manticore from Westover Hall. Gohan let out a snarl as blue sparks danced across his chest.

"Thorn… looks like he needs to die twice." Percy gripped Gohan's shoulder.

"Hold on! This is a good thing. If _he_ survived that fall from the cliff, then Annabeth must have too. So she's alive! We need him to lead us to her!" Gohan grumbled in frustration, but nodded.

Thorn kept well back from their friends, careful not to be seen.

Finally, Grover stopped in front of a big building that said NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM. The Smithsonian!

"What's this place?" Gohan whispered.

"The Smithsonian. It's a gigantic museum. You have to have those, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. I just don't remember mine being so… big."

Thalia checked the door. It was open, but there weren't many people going in. Too cold, and school was out of session. They slipped inside.

Dr. Thorn hesitated. Percy wasn't sure why, but he didn't go into the museum. He turned and headed across the Mall.

"Now what?" Percy cursed. Gohan made a split decision.

"You follow him. Put on the hat so he can't see you. I'll follow Thalia and the others, keep my distance." Percy could see just how difficult that was for Gohan to say, given how obvious it was that Gohan wanted to follow Thorn himself. Percy nodded, slipping the hat on and vanishing on the spot, taking off after Thorn.

Thorn crossed the street and climbed the steps of the Museum of Natural History. There was a big sign on the door. At first Percy thought it said CLOSED FOR PIRATE EVENT. Then he realized PIRATE must be PRIVATE.

he followed Dr. Thorn inside, through a huge chamber full of mastodons and dinosaur skeletons. There were voices up ahead, coming from behind a set of closed doors. Two guards stood outside, covered in a kind of black armor. They opened the doors for Thorn, and Percy had to sprint to get inside before they closed them again.

Inside, what Percy saw was so terrible he almost gasped out loud, which probably would've gotten him killed.

He was in a huge round room with a balcony ringing the second level. At least a dozen mortal guards stood on the balcony, plus two monsters—reptilian women with double-snake trunks instead of legs. He'd seen them before. Annabeth had called them Scythian dracaenae.

But that wasn't the worse of it. Standing between the snake women—Percy could swear he was looking straight down at me—was my old enemy Luke. He looked terrible. His skin was pale and his blond hair looked almost gray, as if he'd aged ten years in just a few months. The angry light in his eyes was still there, and so was the scar down the side of his face, where a dragon had once scratched him. But the scar was now ugly red, as though it had recently been reopened. Next to him, sitting down so that the shadows covered him, was another man. All he could see were his knuckles on the gilded arms of his chair, like a throne. Percy also saw more familiar faces: Amortentia and Abigail, skulking next to the chair. Standing next to them was a third person Percy didn't recognize, largely due to him being completely covered in armor from head to toe. He was a terrifying sight. Completely black, save for the silver and red boar head on his chest. He gripped a massive double ended axe as he glared around, clearly not enjoying being there. In a strange way, he reminded Percy of Ares.

Amortentia giggled as she looked around, winking and waving at the guards, who continuously looked back and grinned at her, making absolute fools of themselves.

"Will you stop fooling around?" the armored man snapped. She glared at him before sniffing loudly and flipping her hair behind her back.

"You're such a spoilsport!"

"Enough." Percy's blood went cold, as did everyone else in the room. The air seemed to go still as a figure completely covered in a cloak strode in. One Percy remembered all too well, even if he couldn't see the figure's face or body. It was Luke's partner. From the Princess Andromeda. Percy instantly remembered the feeling he had experienced back then. Pure terror.

His voice may not have been not as creepy as Kronos's, but it was terrifying in a different way: deeper and stronger, like the earth itself was talking. It filled the whole room even though he wasn't yelling. Just from the tone in his voice, he got his message across. Percy could easily sense the power radiating off him, like he could completely annihilate him without even a twinge of effort. And clearly, everyone else in the room felt the same way. Amortentia backed up, her expression suddenly wary.

"Father." She bowed deeply, along with Abigail and the armored man. Percy almost choked.

"Father?" Amortentia and Abigail were that thing's… children? For a moment, Percy's heart stopped when Luke's partner seemed to look right at him. All he could see were a pair of bright, red eyes. But then, he looked away, and Percy let out a deep sigh of relief.

Dr. Thorn took off his shades. His two-colored eyes, brown and blue, glittered with excitement. He made a stiff bow, then spoke in his weird French accent: "They are here, General."

"I know that, you fool," boomed the man on the chair. He sounded similar to Luke's partner, but his voice seemed to be a bit more on the deeper side. But it was obvious that the two were clearly on a competing plane of dominance. They held themselves the same way and had similar commanding voices.

"But where?" "In the rocket museum." "The Air and Space Museum," Luke corrected irritably. Dr. Thorn glared at Luke. "As you say, _sir"_

Percy got the feeling Thorn would just as soon impale Luke with one of his spikes as call him sir.

"How many?" Luke asked.

Thorn pretended not to hear.

" _How many_?" the General demanded.

"Four, General," Thorn said. "The satyr, Grover Underwood. And the girl with the spiky black hair and the—how do you say— _punk_ clothes and the horrible shield."

"Thalia," Luke said. "And two other girls—Hunters. One wears a silver circlet." " _That_ one I know," the General growled. Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably, save for Luke's partner.

"And the boy?" Luke's partner asked calmly. Thorn looked away. Then, everyone winched as a flurry of black lightning danced over his body

"I won't ask twice." Thorn swallowed before answering.

"No sign of him… sir."

"Which confirms what we were told. He wasn't one of the ones chosen for the quest. Seems that the Hunter's preference for women worked in our favor. What a group of fools." Luke was interrupted when his partner let out a roar of laughter. The room went silent as he laughed, taken aback by his sudden outburst.

"The only fools here are you, if you believe that he didn't come. You don't know him as I do. You humiliated him, Thorn. Furthermore, we have the girl. If there's one thing that I know for certain, he will never abandon his friends. He will do anything to protect them, to save them. Call it his greatest strength and weakness."

"Whatever the case, he's not with them." Luke turned.

"Let me take them," Luke said to the General. "We have more than enough—"

"Patience," the General said. "They'll have their hands full already. I've sent a little playmate to keep them occupied."

"But—"

"Enough, _boy_ , stop your incessant whining." Luke's partner ordered.

"Yes, boy." Thorn said with a cruel smile. "You are much too fragile to risk. Let _me_ finish them off."

"No." The General rose from his chair, and Percy got his first look at him.

He was tall and muscular, with light brown skin and slicked-back dark hair. He wore an expensive brown silk suit like the guys on Wall Street wear, but you'd never mistake this dude for a broker. He had a brutal face, huge shoulders, and hands that could snap a flagpole in half. His eyes were like stone. Percy felt as if he were looking at a living statue. It was amazing he could even move.

"You are beyond incompetent." Luke's partner interrupted coldly. The General snorted.

"On that point, abomination, we agree. You have already failed us, Thorn," he said. "But, General—" "No excuses!" Thorn flinched. Percy had thought Thorn was scary when he first saw him in his black uniform at the military academy. But now, standing before the General and Luke's partner, Thorn looked like a silly wannabe soldier. The General was the real deal. He didn't need a uniform. He was a born commander. As was Luke's partner. Both expected to be obeyed without question.

The only question Percy had was whether the two of them could actually lead together, or go for each other's throats at the first opportunity. He seriously hoped for the latter.

"I should throw you into the pits of Tartarus for your incompetence," the General said. "We sent you to capture a child of the three elder gods. A very simple objective."

"And yet," Luke's partner chimed in. "Despite being surrounded by children of the Elder gods, having your pick to choose from… you somehow grabbed the ONLY one who WASN'T a child of the Elder Gods! A scrawny daughter of Athena. You should be embarrassed to even be standing before us now." Thorn's face flushed with rage.

"I will not stand here and be admonished by this… this joke, this abomination! This thing who has no right to co-" Thorn was cut off when a bright purple beam blasted through his chest and burned through the back wall leaving a smoking hole. Everyone in the room flinched as Thron fell to his knees, gasping in pain as smoke rose from the new hole in his chest.

Luke's partner sighed as he lowered his smoking hand.

"Must you be so overdramatic?" the general sighed.

"Hmph. I would have completely vaporized him, but I would prefer not to damage the surrounding architecture and kill everyone in this room." Percy shuddered, his body rigid.

"I think your usefulness has come to an end, Thorn. Any objections, General?"

"None." Thorn let out a bellow of rage as he stood, morphing into his full form. His claws shot out as his tail thrashed behind him.

"You promised me revenge!" Thorn bellowed. "A command of my own!"

" _I_ am Lord Kronos's senior commander," the General said. "And I will choose lieutenants who get me results! It was only thanks to Luke that we salvaged our plan at all. The abomination is quite right. I have no use for you anymore." Everyone in the room backed up, not eager to get caught in the middle of what was about to happen.

Thorn's face turned purple with rage. The black armored boy and Abigail stepped forward, their weapons glistening in their hands. But, they stopped cold when Luke's partner raised his hand calmly.

"Enough, hotshots. Let him have his fun." Thorn bellowed before racing towards the cloaked man, unleashing a flurry of slashes. Yet somehow, he wasn't landing a single blow. The cloaked man spun, weaved, and ducked with seemingly little effort, before leaping and landing behind Thorn. He roared as he swung his tail like a club, straight for the man's head. But then…

Percy gaped as Thorn snarled in disbelief. Somehow, the man had caught Thorn's tail, and was clutching the tip between two of his fingers. Thorn grunted as he tried to pull back, but didn't seem to be able to. The man didn't seem strained at all, though admittingly, Percy couldn't see his face.

"Are you done?" Thorn roared in rage as he struggled to free himself.

"Fine. My turn, then." He then gripped the tail and swung it like a whip, sending Thorn flying off his feet, smashing into the ground with a loud CRACK. Thorn shot off the ground and swung at the man, who simply ducked. The man then unleashed a flurry of combos on Thorn, slamming blow after blow on his chest and face, Thorn grunted as he stumbled back, being overwhelmed by a man at least half his size. Finally, he leaped back and plunged his fist into Thorn's stomach, causing him to roar as he doubled over. Dust dripped down the man's arm as he gripped, and then raised. Percy watched in disbelief as he raised Thorn above his head and slammed him into the ground with a loud CRUNCH. Thorn moaned as he curled up on the ground, looking quite feeble.

"Hmph. I expected more." The man mused as he bent over Thorn. Then, Thorn let out a scream of pure agony. Percy watched in horror as the manticore seemed to shrink, convulsing as his limbs shrank and contorted. This wasn't like what usually happened with monsters when they died. Thorn wasn't disintegrating. This was something… worse. The manticore wailed as he shrank, growing smaller and smaller, almost like some sort of a disfigured hairy infant. Then, finally… nothing. Thorn's tattered uniform laid on the ground, unmoving. The man rose from the ground and dusted himself off, as if nothing had happened. An air of silence sat in the room for what seemed like an eternity before the General finally broke it.

"Now, my boy." The General turned to Luke. "The first thing we must do is isolate the half-blood Thalia. The monster we seek will then come to her."

"The Hunters will be difficult to dispose of," Luke said. Hid partner then cleared his throat.

"Do you have something to add?"

"I do. The girls are formidable, yes. But they can still die like anyone else. What the hunters have that makes them so formidable is experience."

"Explain."

"These girls are thousands of years old. They've fought the same enemies time and again. They know the moves of everything you could throw at them. They'll beat whatever monster you threw at them."

"You have a better plan?" "I do." He nodded towards Amotentia and the others.

"Strife. You know what to do." The black armored boy nodded, gripping his axe. The cloaked man gestured to the upper corner, where… something/ stood, covered in shadows. All Percy could see was that it looked humanoid from what he could see. A single shining red line gleamed from where the eyes were supposed to be. It didn't speak. It didn't move. Percy shuddered from where he was hiding.

"I've been working on a new form of fighter. Powerful, ruthless. Completely immune to celestial bronze. And in addition, adaptable."

"Adaptable?" Luke asked.

"Yes. Every moment they fight, increases their knowledge of how to beat their opponents. They study, they calculate. They can't be beaten."

"I will wet my axe with their blood." Strife growled.

"Yes, boy." The general growled.

"You expect us to put our faith in you? As I recall, you failed to secure the Master Bolt after Castellan stole it from Mt. Olympus. Time and time again, you have been outwitted by those demigods." The air was silent as everyone held their breath. The General was seriously doing this after what happened to Thorn? The cloaked man stared calmly at the General before answering.

"They won because I let them. I let them acquire the Golden Fleece last summer, as to ensure Thalia escaped from the tree, which she did. And now the prophecy is within our grasp. Everything I do, I plan ten steps ahead."

"Even so. I do not approve of your methods. An unknown factor may be a good idea, granted, but too much can go wrong."

"A competition, then! My fighters against yours. Whichever defeats the Hunters first shall win. Agreed?" For the first time, the General smiled.

"Agreed. And now, allow me to show you how we will bring the Hunters down."

He pointed to a guard on the ground level. "Do you have the teeth?" One of the guards stumbled forward with a ceramic pot. "Yes, General!" "Plant them," he said.

In the center of the room was a big circle of dirt. Percy watched nervously as the guard took sharp white teeth out of the pot and pushed them into the soil. He smoothed them over while the General smiled coldly.

The guard stepped back from the dirt and wiped his hands. "Ready, General!"

"Excellent! Water them, and we will let them scent their prey."

The guard picked up a little tin watering can with daisies painted on it, which was kind of bizarre, because what he poured out wasn't water. It was dark red liquid.

The soil began to bubble.

"Soon," the General said, "I will show you soldiers that will make your army from that little boat look insignificant. And make these supposed invincible fighters look like fools!"

Luke clenched his fists. "I've spent a year training my forces! When the _Princess Andromeda_ arrives at the mountain, they'll be the best—"

"Ha.'" the General said. "I don't deny your troops will make a fine honor guard for Lord Kronos. And you, of course, will have a role to play—"

Luke turned paler when the General said that.

"—but under my leadership, the forces of Lord Kronos will increase a hundredfold. We will be unstoppable. Behold, my ultimate killing machines."

The soil erupted. Percy stepped back nervously.

In each spot where a tooth had been planted, a creature was struggling out of the dirt. The first of them said:

"Mew?"

It was a kitten. A little orange tabby with stripes like a tiger. Then another appeared, until there were a dozen, rolling around and playing in the dirt.

Everyone stared at them in disbelief. Luke's partner roared with laughter.

"Oh my, general, I'm very impressed! Although, I do suppose your fighters would win in the cuteness department. We just need to cuddle the Hunters to death!"

Clearly humiliated, the General roared, " _What is this? Cute cuddly kittens? Where did you find those teeth_?"

The guard who'd brought the teeth cowered in fear. "From the exhibit, sir! Just like you said. The saber-toothed tiger—"

"No, you idiot! I said the tyrannosaurus! Gather up those... those infernal fuzzy little beasts and take them outside. And never let me see your face again."

The terrified guard dropped his watering can. He gathered up the kittens and scampered out of the room.

"You.'" The General pointed to another guard. "Get me the _right teeth. NOW_!" The new guard ran off to carry out his orders. "Imbeciles,' muttered the General.

"This is why I don't use mortals," Luke's partner said. "They are unreliable. Fragile."

"They are weak-minded, easily bought, and violent," the General said. "I love them."

A minute later, the guard hustled into the room with his hands full of large pointy teeth.

"Excellent," the General said. He climbed onto the balcony railing and jumped down, twenty feet.

Where he landed, the marble floor cracked under his leather shoes. He stood, wincing, and rubbed his shoulders. "Curse my stiff neck."

"Another hot pad, sir?" a guard asked. "More Tylenol?"

"No! It will pass." The General brushed off his silk suit, then snatched up the teeth. "I shall do this myself."

He held up one of the teeth and smiled. "Dinosaur teeth—ha! Those foolish mortals don't even know when they have dragon teeth in their possession. And not just _any_ dragon teeth. These come from the ancient Sybaris herself! They shall do nicely."

He planted them in the dirt, twelve in all. Then he scooped up the watering can. He sprinkled the soil with red liquid, tossed the can away, and held his arms out wide. "Rise!"

The dirt trembled. A single, skeletal hand shot out of the ground, grasping at the air.

The General looked up at the balcony. "Quickly, do you have the scent?"

"Yesssss, lord," one of the snake ladies said. She took out a sash of silvery fabric, like the kind the Hunters wore.

"Excellent," the General said. "Once my warriors catch its scent, they will pursue its owner relentlessly. Nothing can stop them, no weapons known to half-blood or Hunter. They will tear the Hunters and their allies to shreds. Toss it here!"

As he said that, skeletons erupted from the ground. There were twelve of them, one for each tooth the General had planted. They were nothing like Halloween skeletons, or the kind you might see in cheesy movies. These were growing flesh, turning into men, but men with dull gray skin, yellow eyes, and modern clothes—gray muscle shirts, camo pants, and combat boots. If you didn't look too closely, you could almost believe they were human, but their flesh was transparent and their bones shimmered underneath, like X-ray images.

One of them looked straight at Percy, regarding him coldly, and he knew that no cap of invisibility would fool it.

"See! Let us see whose fighters will emerge victorious! And when my fighters will, Lord Kronos will finally see how useless you truly are!"

The snake lady released the scarf and it fluttered down toward the General's hand.

"We shall see, General." And then, Luke's partner looked directly at Percy.

"What do you think, Percy Jackson?" Percy felt a wave of horror wash over his body. He could see him. He knew he was there the entire time.

Percy didn't have time to think. He ran and jumped with all my might, plowing into the warriors and snatching the scarf out of the air.

"What's this?" bellowed the General. Percy landed at the feet of a skeleton warrior, who hissed. "An intruder," the General growled. "One cloaked in darkness. Seal the doors!" "It's Percy Jackson!" Luke yelled. "It has to be."

Percy sprinted for the exit, but was then yanked off his feet. Percy was pulled around and met eyes with the face of evil. Luke's partner frowned as he looked at Percy, who thrashed in his grip. All Percy could see was his eyes, those pair of red orbs that chilled him to his core.

"Hmph. For someone so revered… so fragile. I could kill you right now. Crush you like a little ant. But…" To Percy's absolute disbelief, he dropped him. As he hit the ground, he heard a ripping sound and realized he had taken a chunk out of Percy's sleeve. Luke's partner tossed the sleeve to one of the skeleton warriors. He held the fabric up to his nose, sniffing the scent, and handed it around to his friends. Percy wanted to scream, but he couldn't. Luke's partner laughed.

"Run, Percy Jackson. Make the hunt interesting." Percy did just that.


	22. A Historical Brawl!

**Ten minutes earlier…**

Percy nodded as he slipped Annabeth's hat on, vanishing from sight. Gohan sighed, turning back to the museum.

"Okay then…" Gohan frowned, noticing his first problem. How to slip into the museum without a ticket or without being seen by Zoe or Thalia? His solution? Apparently, Gohan's solution ended up being slipping into an entering school group, and sneaking away once they were through. Once Gohan was inside though…

"Whoa!" Gohan's eyes widened in curiosity as he looked around, taking it all in.

The main part of the museum was one huge room with rockets and airplanes hanging from the ceiling. Three levels of balconies curled around, so you could look at the exhibits from all different heights. The place wasn't crowded, just a few families and a couple of tour groups of kids, probably doing one of those holiday school trips. But Gohan was distracted by all the fascinating sights. He just couldn't help it.

"Cool…" Gohan grinned as he looked at a large space capsule. True, it wasn't _his_ Earth's history, but that's part of what made it so fascinating to read. Though at the same time, he wondered just how space travel worked in this universe, given all the different gods. Unfortunately, Gohan's curiosity ended up… backfiring on him.

"YOU!" Gohan yelped as Thalia slammed into him, knocking him into an Apollo space capsule. Gohan quickly flipped, bouncing off and landing on the top.

"Come on, this stuff is fragile!" Gohan blinked to find that Zoe and Bianca had arrows notched, aimed at his chest. Their bows had just appeared out of nowhere.

When Zoe realized who Gohan was, she didn't seem anxious to lower her bow. "You! How dare you show thy face here?"

"Gohan!" Grover said. "Ummmm… hi. Is Percy with you?" He asked hopefully.

Zoe glared at him, and he blushed. "I mean, um, gosh. You're not supposed to be here!"

"Well, I never was the best at listening to people. Just ask my mother." Thalia's eyes narrowed.

"Gods, you're infuriating!"

"I have that effect on…" Gohan trailed off as his ears twitched. He could hear something. It sounded like… his eyes widened.

"MOVE!" he roared. Zoe cocked her head in confusion.

"What? What drivel are you sprouting now, oth-" Gohan didn't wait, launching himself towards Thalia and the others. In the same instant, the entrance and the entire surrounding wall exploded, showing the room in rubble. Screams erupted as the room collapsed into pandemonium.

Thalia coughed as she waved smoke out of her face. And then blinked in surprise as the smoke faded. Gohan had thrown a force field around them just as the wall exploded, which had in fact saved them from several large chunks of rubble that would have landed on them otherwise. Thalia also noticed that… Gohan had landed on her. They stared at each other awkwardly, their faces centimeters from each other.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Gohan stammered as he tried to push himself up… only to find that his hands had been on her chest.

"Ummmm…" Thalia and Gohan blushed, their faces deep red in embarrassment.

"Despicable man!" Zoe smacked Gohan in the node, causing him to tumble off Thalia in surprise, the shield fading around them.

"See, Bianca? This is why men are so disgusting! Despicable!" Bianca wasn't listening, however.

"Ummmm… guys?" she pointed her finger, causing everyone to follow. From the gaping hole, something emerged.

"What foul beast is this?" Zoe gasped. Whatever it was, it certainly didn't look like any beast. It looked human. At least, it had a humanoid shape. Only, this thing was huge, almost matching the height of the balcony they were standing on. Its body was completely a sleek silver, save for a red slit on its head that seemed to serve as its eyes. No eyes, no face. It looked like a massive silver metal mannequin, in a way. Its head slowly turned, slowly sweeping across the room, until its gaze fell on the small group.

"PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TARGETS IDENTIFIED." A deep monotone voice erupted.

"It talks?" Bianca gaped.

"Separate on my mark," Zoe said. "Try to keep that thing distracted."

"Until when?" Grover asked.

"PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: SECURE PRIMARY TARGETS. SECONDARY… ELIMINATE."

"MOVE!" a second later, the thing plunged its fist into the wall where they had been standing, cleaving through the wall like putty. The room shook as rubble fell from the ceiling. Gohan flipped through the air, landing on a nearby rocket. It was complete chaos downstairs, however.

"Grover! Clear the kids out!" Gohan ordered.

Groups of kids were running around screaming. Grover tried to corral them away from the monster just as the other cord on the spaceship snapped and the exhibit crashed to the floor. Thalia dropped off the second-floor railing and landed across from Gohan, on the other side of the globe. The humanoid regarded them both, as if it trying to decide which of them to kill first. But, instead of swinging at them, it spoke.

"PRIMARY TARGETS IDENTIFIED. DESIGNATION: SECURE." Then, a hissing sound radiated from the humanoid as part of its shoulder seemed to slide back. Then, a rocket shot out, flying straight at Gohan and Thalia.

"MOVE!" Gohan fired a ki blast at the rocket. The two collided in a bright explosion. However, something emerged from the smoke. Multiple somethings. It looked like balls. Small, round, black balls. All around Thalia, they splattered on the wall. Thalia lowered her shield in confusion, looking down in confusion. One of the balls had hit the shield, center on.

"Ummmmm… what is this?" Then, much to Thalia's shock, the ball began to expand quickly, inflating like a balloon.

"What the?"

"MOVE!" Gohan knocked Thalia's shield away from her and fired a ki blast at it. When the smoke faded, the ball was gone, though Thalia's shield remained.

Arrows whistled past him. He turned and saw Zoe and Bianca climbing the Apollo capsule. They were firing arrows, one after another, although they all shattered harmlessly against its skin. Not a single sign of damage. Not even a blemish. Gohan's reflection, warped like a funhouse mirror, stared back at him as the thing turned. And then, in lightning-fast speed, the thing lashed out and swung towards Zoe and Bianca. They were barely able to leap off it before its hand closed around the capsule, ripping it from its pedestal. Then, it clenched its fist, causing a loud metal crunch. It then whirled towards Gohan and Thalis and hurled the destroyed capsule. Thalia and Gohan both jumped, the exhibit behind them exploding into rubble. Gohan landed on the second floor next to Bianca and Grover, while Thalia landed next to her shield.

"You okay, Grover?" the satyr nodded slowly.

"Gods damn it! This thing is tough!" Bianca cursed

Then, Gohan whirled at the sound of a scream. A group of kids cowered as several large chunks of rubble fell towards them. Gohan shot towards the rubble, blasting it into pieces.

"GO!" Gohan roared at them. He wasn't sure what exactly they were seeing, given the mist, but it must have been terrifying. They sprinted out the hole in the wall, screaming in pure terror. Gohan turned towards the large figure, his eyes blazing.

"HEY! OVER HERE!" Gohan roared as he raced towards the creature. It whirled to face him, swinging out its fist. Gohan leaped over the fist, landing on the arm and racing up.

"Come on!" Gohan grinned as he cocked his fist, slamming it right onto the creature's red slit. It snapped back, crashing into the balcony. Yet, it stayed on its feet.

"WATCH IT!" Thalia screamed as she jumped, landing on the escalator. Gohan jumped back, grabbing Thalia as the escalator collapsed, landing on the second floor.

"How do you like that!" Gohan taunted as the smoke began to fade. However, he frowned as he saw a bright red light, which seemed to grow larger and larger.

"Whoa-" Gohan leaped back just in time to avoid a massive red blast, missing him by centimeters and blasting through the ceiling. Much to his shock, the thing emerged from the smoke… completely unscathed.

"Oh, come on!" Gohan landed next to Thalia, who gave him a venomous glare.

"Why is every time you show up, things explode?"

"Don't blame me!" then, vines suddenly started to appear, wrapping themselves around the thing's arms and legs. Gohan turned to see the source: Grover, who was playing YMCA on his pipes. Which was agony on Gohan's ears.

"Ooooh! A double benefit!" Thalia smirked, enjoying Gohan's clear discomfort.

"Will thy both stop bickering like children?" Zoe demanded as she rushed up to them with Bianca, arrows notched.

"That thing is tough. I punched it full on in the face, and not even a scratch!"

"Then blast it with one of those light things from your hands! Blow it to pieces!"

"I can't! If I fired one powerful enough, I'd destroy this entire building and everything in it!"

"That would be bad." Bianca admitted, pushing back a loose strand from her face.

"What? This thing is going to destroy the entire place anyway if we don't kill it!" Thalia countered, her eyes blazing in a combination of frustration and rage.

"Well, at least it's only one foe. If we can combine our skills, I'm sure we can beat it! Besides, it can't get much worse than this." Bianca pointed out. At that exact second, Gohan heard a loud growl. He turned to see something leap from the ceiling, landing opposite to them. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur. It was a…

"The Nemean Lion," Thalia said. "Don't move." Gohan glanced behind him. They couldn't move if they wanted to. They were stuck. Behind them, the massive metallic creature stirred. In front of them, a very hungry mythical lion stalked. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

"You just haaaaad to say something." Gohan glared at Bianca. The lion roared so loud it parted his hair. Its fangs gleamed like stainless steel. Grover was startled so badly he dropped his pipes. A second later, they heard what sounded like a loud twang. To their mutal horror, the humanoid was still moving, crossing its arms together over its chest, causing vines to snap off the creature like twine. Then, in one swift motion, the creature flexed and thrust its arms out, sclicing the vines into tatters.

"This is very, very bad." Thalia turned to face the lion, who roared. Quickly, she stepped into its path, holding up Aegis, and the lion recoiled. "ROOOAAAR!"

"Hi-yah!" Thalia said. "Back!" Gohan turned to face the machine.

"Come on!" Gohan rolled, avoiding a gigantic foot that smashed into the ground. His hands glowed as he then unleashed dozens of small ki balls, clamming into the humanoid's head. It stepped back as Gohan continued the barrage. He roared as he intensified the barrage, keeping the humanoid occupied.

Meanwhile, the lion growled and clawed the air, but it retreated under the gaze of the intimidating shield. For a second, it seemed that Thalia had it under control. Then, the lion crouched, its leg muscles tensing. It was about to leap. But just before it could, it suddenly let out a roar of rage and bucked like an angry bull at the rodeo.

"What the?" Thalia lowered her shield in confusion. But then, the answer was revealed when a sudden yell erupted from the lion's back, and Annabeth's hat fell off to reveal no other than Percy, clutching the lion's back in dear life.

"Peeeercy!" Grover bleated happily.

"Hey!" Percy yelled. He slashed downwards with Riptide, a good strike to the flank that should've cut the monster into Meow Mix, but the blade just clanged against its fur in a burst of sparks.

The lion roared in rage and thrashed. Percy tried to hold on, but unfortunately slipped loose, crashing onto the ground. The lion lunged with its claws, ripping off a chunk of his coat. Percy backed against a large chunk of rubble, holding his blade out in an attempt to keep the lion back. Unfortunately, this failed. It sprang at Percy, one thousand pounds of monster, and he had no choice but to roll. The lion smashed headfirst into the boulder, unleashing a bellow of pure anger as it stumbled back. The hunters unleashed a barrage of arrows to try and kill it, but to no avail. Like the humanoid, the arrows shattered harmlessly against the lion's fur.

"What are those arrows made of? Tinfoil?" Gohan called out as he continued to blast the humanoid.

"Perhaps I should shoot thou with one and let you find out!" Zoe countered.

"HEY! STOP IT!" Percy bellowed as he raced over to them, the lion ignoring him as it thrashed its mane. He gaped at the humanoid, his jaw hanging open.

"Whoa! That thing is huge!"

"It's good to see you too, Percy."

"That thing… it's Luke's. His partner sent it. They're here."

The anger in Thalia's eyes immediately melted. She put her hand on her silver bracelet. "Where?"

As fast as he could without blurring his words, he told them about the Natural History Museum, Dr. Thorn, Luke, and the General. "The General is here?" Zoe looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

"Why would I lie? Look, there's no time! We've got a crazy lion and a big robot that both want to kill us!"

"Robot? That thing is a robot?" Bianca gaped.

"Move!" Gohan tackled them, just in time to avoid a giant fist that smashed the ground where they had been a second ago.

"Thanks." Percy gasped.

"Look out!" Bianca screamed. The lion roared as it leaped towards them, claws glittering. Gohan grunted as he dropped and slammed his feet into the lion's stomach, sending it rocketing into the roof. But somehow, the creature recovered incredible fast, landing on the third-floor balcony, or rather, what remained of it.

"LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!" Gohan bellowed as he leaped at the robot, his eyes glimmering with rage. Light glowed down his arms as energy formed, stretching outwards from his body in the shape of a long-curved blade.

"ENERGY BLADE!" Gohan roared as he swung, slamming into the side of the robot's head. The blades burst apart into little light fragments as the machine stumbled back, yet still undamaged.

"COME ON!" Gohan roared as he unleashed a barrage of blows onto the machine's chest, forcing it back onto the wall, which began to crumble around it. Meanwhile, both Zoe and Bianca leaped onto the robot's outstretched arms, firing arrows at its face in an attempt to disorient it. Although it seemed more annoyed than disoriented. It swung its left arm in an attempt to smash the girls off, taking out another wall in the process. Gohan shot back, landing next to Percy as he raised his hand palm out, a light glowing in the center.

"MASENKO!" a bright beam shot from his hand, slamming into the machine's chest and blowing out in a large explosion.

"Any ideas?" Percy asked. Gohan sighed

"I do. But it's a little crazy. And I don't know if it'll work." The room shook as a rocket crashed next to them. Thalia snarled.

"Screw it, I'll take anything at this rate!" Gohan nodded, crossing his arms. Then, to Thalia's amazement, he split into not two, but four separate Gohans. One of the Gohans immediately began blasting the robot in the face, keeping it distracted and not finishing off the Hunters. The second grabbed the rocket and hurled it like a dodge, smashing into the machine's head and bursting into pieces. The two other Gohans then faced Percy and Thalia.

"Percy, come with me. We need to get the lion's attention." That Gohan grabbed Percy and shot up towards the balcony where the lion stalked, giving them a venomous glare.

"Thalia, hold on. I need you to stay still!" Then, the last Gohan grabbed her and shot up, landing on an old bi-plane.

"HEY! OVER HERE!" the robot whirled, covering Gohan and Thalia in its red gaze.

"PRIMARY TARGETS IDENTIFIED. ENGAGING CAPTURE PROCEDURE." The compartment slid back, firing another rocket at them. Gohan leaped off, flying straight at the rocket. Then, he spun as he gripped the rocket. His body began to glow as he pushed his feet down on the rocket, and then kicked back, sending the rocket flying straight back at the humanoid. He fired a ki blast as he landed on the plane, which flew into the rocket and exploded, causing dozens of the black balls to fly out and slam into the robot's head. They immediately began to inflate, quickly enveloping the robot's head.

"ERROR: OPTICAL SENSORS BLOCKED." It reached up and tried to pull the liquid off, to no avail.

Meanwhile, the other Gohan dropped Percy, landing cleanly in front of the lion.

"Hey, big guy!" Percy grabbed a chunk of rock and hurled it, striking the lion cleanly on the nose. It roared in rage.

"Well, that did the trick!" The lion swiped at Percy, and he dropped onto the next exhibit, a weird-looking spacecraft with blades like a helicopter. Percy looked up and saw the lion roar—inside its maw, a pink tongue and throat. Then, a bright ki blast shot straight into the lion's mouth. The lion stood still for a second, and then let out a bellow of pain as smoke rose from its mouth.

"Percy! Move towards the robot!" Percy understood. He gripped the top of the spacecraft and pushed, causing the metal supports to creak as it slowly swung.

"Hey ugly!" Percy yelled at the lion. He was too far away to strike, so he took a risk: He hurled Riptide like a throwing knife. It bounced off the lion's side, but that was enough to get the monster's attention. It turned toward him, and snarled.

It roared at Percy and raced towards him. Without hesitating, Percy jumped. He plummeted towards the ground, rushing straight towards him. Then, Gohan shot down and grabbed him, the both of them landing cleanly on the floor. Meanwhile, the lion continued on its path, landing smack dab on the robot's upper chest, its paws landing on the humanoid's right shoulder. The robot thrashed in response, trying to get the lion off. The lion roared as it started to slide down, slashing at the robot as it did, leaving large gashes in the metallic skin. Gohan grinned.

"Bingo." He grabbed Thalia, wrapping his arm around her waist. The robot continued to thrash as it tried to free itself, flailing its arms as the lion shook around like a rag doll.

"GO!" he hurled her like a javelin, sending her rocketing towards the large humanoid. Without explanation, Thalia understood, her spear coming to life in her hands. She roared as thrust her spear downwards, plunging the spear right into the gash left by the lion on the robot's shoulder. It sank into the opening like a knife through butter. Thalia gasped as she struggled to stay on, as the robot's smooth skin offered no footholds.

"DO IT!" Gohan roared. Thalia narrowed her eyes as she clenched her teeth, sparks beginning to dance around her body.

"Zeus… please!" she gasped. Almost by cue, the sky began to darken. Then, a massive bolt of lightning shot through the ceiling, slamming into Thalia's spear. Thalia flew back as sparks danced across her body, tumbling off the robot. The spear acted as a sort of source, directing all the lightning into the robot's body. The robot stiffened, its hands twitching as it absorbed the full force of the lightning bolt. It let out an almost sort of eerie scream as the red light on its face intensified, growing brighter and brighter. Sparks danced all across the machine's body as it shook, and the faint sound of explosions could be heard. Smoke rose from the gashes left by the lion. Said lion roared as sparks danced across its body, thrashing in a struggle to free itself.

ERROR! ERROR! POWER OVERLOAD! BEYOND SYSTEM CAPABILITIES! ERROR! ERROR! ERRO100010100100100100101- Then, the red light suddenly blinked out. For a long moment, the robot stood still, smoke rising from its body. Thalia screamed as she tumbled downwards, before being snatched out of the air by one of the Gohans, the two of them sliding across the ground.

Meanwhile, the lion roared as it thrashed in a rabid frenzy, finally freeing itself from the massive robot in an earsplitting grind of metal. It landed on the floor, letting out a snarl of triumph as it turned to look at Grover.

Then, a loud creak attracted everyone's attention. The robot slumped forward, falling onto its knees with a loud CRUNCH.

The lion let out a massive roar as it leaped at Grover, who shrieked as he stumbled backwards. Then, the robot crashed face first right in front of him, completely crushing the lion beneath it, blowing smoke in every direction. For a long moment, no one moved. Then, the smoke faded, revealing the robot lying face first on the ground, motionless. They all stated, stunned. Then, Percy let out a beal of uncontrollable laughter. Thalia sighed, letting out a long sigh. She bounded over to the robot, where her spear was still sticking out of its shoulder. She gripped it, clenching her fists together as she wretched the weapon free. She groaned as she sank to her knees.

"We won! Ha ha!" Percy laughed as he jogged over. The Gohans all landed around, congratulating each other.

Grover knelt at Thalia's side and helped her up. She seemed okay, just a little dazed. Zoe and Bianca dropped from the balcony and landed next to them.

Zoe eyed the Gohan's cautiously. "That was... an interesting strategy." "Hey, it worked." One of the Gohans answered.  
She didn't argue. Bianca seemed more curious, poking one of the Gohans with the tip of her bow.

"So… how does this work? Are you all the same guy, or are you dividing your mind? This is really confusing."

"Sorry." Then, three of the Gohans raced towards the fourth. Just before they collided with him, they faded, merging back into one Gohan. He let out a groan as he rubbed his temples.

"Ow… doing that always gives me a headache."

Meanwhile, alarms wailed throughout the museum. Not that anyone was even around. The place was completely deserted. Even the security guards were gone.

"We need to leave. No telling what might come after us next." Thalia stated. That got Percy's attention.

"Oh yeah! The General made these things that he was going to send after us. They're skeleton warriors—"  
"What?" Thalia demanded. "How many?"

"Twelve," Percy said.

Thalia and Grover exchanged looks.

"That's not good." Thalia stated. Gohan snorted.

"Really, a bunch of skeletons? We just took down a hundred-foot robot! I think we can handle a few bones!"

"You are wrong!" Zoe snapped, taking Gohan aback.

Zoe took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "If Percy is telling the truth about the skeleton warriors," she said, "we have no time to argue. They are the worst, the most horrible... We must leave now."

"Good idea," Percy said.

"I was not including thee, boy, or you, Otherworlder." Zoe said. "Neither of you are not part of this quest."

"Hey, I'm trying to save your lives!"

"Yeah!" Gohan butted in. "If not for us, you would have been stomped to pieces by that!" he gestured at the robot. Thalia let out a loud groan.

"You guys shouldn't have come." Thalia said grimly. "But you're here now. Come on. Let's get back to the van."

"That is not thy decision!" Zoe snapped.

Thalia scowled at her. "You're not the boss here, Zoe. I don't care how old you are! You're still a conceited little brat!"

"You never had any wisdom when it came to boys," Zoe growled. "You never could leave them behind!"

Thalia looked like she was about to hit Zoe. But then, Gohan perked.

"Sssshhhhh!" Gohan hissed, waving at them.

"Wha? Do not shush me, boy!"

"Stop! All of you, shut up and listen! Can't you hear it?" As they fell quiet, they did hear something.

"Is that a… beep?" It was indeed a beep. Like one of those beeps you would hear from a sci-ft show.

"Where's it coming from?" Grover looked around. Gohan's mouth furrowed as he turned around in a circle, trying to focus in on the source. It seemed to getting… faster? Then, his eyes fell on the robot.

"MOVE! MOVE AWAY!" Gohan roared as golden light enveloped his body. He shot towards the robot, gripping the head and reaching for the gashes, digging his hands into the skin.

"What are you doing?" Bianca sputtered. Gohan roared as the light intensified around him, the ground shaking in intensity, until he shot upwards like a golden firework, carrying the massive humanoid with him. It was a curious sight to say the least. Gohan grunted as he pushed back against the weight, focusing on his hands.

"Ka… me…" he focused on the beeping. It was even faster now, to the point that they were starting to carry into each other, creating one long continuous beep.

"Ka… me…" the city began to blur beneath Gohan, but ke continued on. He needed to get as far as possible. The beeping was even faster now, and louder in intensity. It was one nonstop beep now. He was out of time.

"HHHHHAAAAA!" two bright blue beams shot out of both his hands, slamming into the robot's back. The robot continued to soar upwards, supported by Gohan's kamahamaha blast. Gohan, meanwhile, shot back downwards, propelled by the force of the blast coming out of his hands. Then, the beeping stopped.

On the ground, the two demigods, two hunters, and satyr looked up at the sky, where Gohan and the robot had vanished.

"Man, what was that abou-" Then, their ears were deafened by a massive explosion, so bright that it almost blinded them and lit up the sky. The force almoe slammed them to the ground as the building shook.

"Oh gods!" Bianca gasped.

"A bomb. There was a bomb in that thing!" Percy gaped. Then, he looked up at the sky.

"Oh gods, Gohan!"

"You think he's dead?" Bianca asked. Percy opened his mouth to counter, but was interrupted when something slammed into the ground outside the museum. They raced outside to see a smoking crater. A second later, Gohan emerged from the hole, his clothes smoking.

"Good gods, man." Percy gaped. Gohan frowned at Percy and gestured at his ears.

"I don't think he can hear you." An open-mouthed Bianca commented. Gohan groaned as he fell back on his butt.

"Owww… that was too close." Gohan groaned as he rubbed his ears.

"So… that monstrosity had an explosive inside. Clever. Should it be defeated, it would self-detonate and kill the victors. It would have destroyed much of this city had he not carried it into the sky." Zoe admitted reluctantly.

"Hey guys? What do you want to do with this?" They turned to see Grover holding a glittering fur coat, the size of a normal lion's pelt.

"What's that?" Bianca asked.

"A trophy. A spoil from the lion. You should take it," Zoe told Gohan. He blinked at he looked at her, rubbing his ears.

"What?"

"You should take it! It is a spoil of war," she told me. "It is rightly thine."

"Technically." Gohan joked. "The robot killed it with its stomach." He frowned when Zoe didn't laugh.

"But seriously, I didn't kill it. Thalia killed the robot, which killed the lion when it fell on it."

"By your plan. Fair is fair, Otherworlder. Take the fur."

Gohan frowned as he took the fur from Grover and lifted it up; it was surprisingly light. The fur was smooth and soft. It didn't feel at all like something that could stop a blade. As he watched, the pelt shifted and changed into a coat—a full-length golden-brown duster.

"Not exactly my style," Gohan murmured. "I would have preferred a gi."

"We have to get out of here," Grover said. "The security guards will be back eventually. And not just them. "

Gohan noticed for the first time how strange it was that the guards hadn't rushed forward to arrest them after the robot had been beaten. In fact, no one could be seen anywhere nearby. Alarms were blaring, not just in the museum, but everywhere in the city. The robot's explosion had been that massive.

"Oii…" Gohan sighed.

"The security guards are not our biggest worry," Zoe said. "Look."

Gohan could see a group of men walking across the lawn. Gray men in gray camouflage outfits. They were too far away for any of them to see their eyes, but he could feel their gaze aimed straight at them.

"Go," Percy said. "They'll be hunting me. I'll distract them."

"No," Zoe said. "We go together."

Both Percy and Gohan stared at her. "But, you said—"

"You are both part of this quest now," Zoe said grudgingly. "I do not like it, but there is no changing fate. You are the fourth and fifth quest members. And we are not leaving anyone behind."

* * *

"Hey, come on. Up and at em." Annabeth groaned as she rubbed her eyes. She hadn't even realized that she had fallen asleep. She had waited so long that she had just nodded off. She sighed as she blinked spots out of her eyes. Then... she immediately shot up, her heart racing in her chest. Because she wasn't alone anymore. Sitting across from her, lounging in the comfortable recliner with a chessboard between them, was a boy. He smiled at her, flipping a pawn between his fingers. Hie eyes, identical to hers, gleamed in a mixture of eagerness and excitement.

"Hello Annabeth, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Would you like to play a game?"


	23. Train Arguments and Godly Debates

"I don't feel so good…" Gohan moaned from the back-seat of the van, his face an unusual color of green. He was sandwhiched between Percy and Thalia, who was giving his a look of annoyance and annoyance.

"You have to be freaking joking. Seriously?" Thalia groaned.

They were crossing the Potomac when they spotted the helicopter. It was a sleek, black military model just like the one they'd seen at Westover Hall. And it was coming straight toward them.

"They know the van," Percy said. "We have to ditch it."

Zoe swerved into the fast lane. The helicopter was gaining.

"Maybe the military will shoot it down," Grover said hopefully.

"The military probably thinks it's one of theirs," Percy said.

The helicopter kept coming, making a lot better time than they were through D.C. traffic. Percy turned to Gohan.

"Hey Gohan, can you take that copter out?" Gohan hiccupped in response.

"Open the sunroof." Zoe nodded, pressing a button that caused the roof to peel back. Gohan unclicked his seatbelt and shot into the sky, leaving a blue trail behind him as he streaked towards the copter. He landed on the cockpit window, grinning at the gawking pilot.

"Hello!" Then, Gohan thrust his fist through the glass and slammed the pilot in the head, only using enough strength to knock him unconscious. Then, as shouts erupted from inside, Gohan flipped up as an energy blade formed around his right hand, thrusting thrust down towards the whirling blades. A flurry of sparks shot into the air around Gohan as the copter blades went through his energy blade, cleaving through the metal like butter. Where a set of 4 blades had been spinning seconds before, now only metal stumps spun, the cleaved metal blades tumbling to the ground. The copter quickly began to plummet as Gohan dropped, falling to float under the copter and stop it with his hands, before floating down to coast onto a rooftop, setting the disabled copter down with a loud metallic thud. Gohan whirled as the copter's doors slid open, reaching out just as the first man emerged, an automatic gun already cocked in his hands. Two others were close behind, also holding guns.

"Nope!" Gohan snatched the gun from the first man, ducking as he whirled, smashing the man across the face with it. As he crumpled, Gohan leaped as the other two men unleashed a barrage of bullets, hurling the gun in his hands like a bullet, smashing the second man in the gut. Gohan ducked beneath him and kicked upwards, snapping the man's head up before crumpling to the ground. The third man roared as he continued to fire at Gohan, who walked calmly towards him as his hands moved around him like lightning bolts. Finally, he stopped before the man, who stared at him in disbelief as he tried to keep firing, only getting a clicking sound in response. He was out of ammo.

"Good night!" Then, Gohan chopped him in the back of the head, knocking him out instantly. A second later, he dropped back through the van's sunroof and landed on his feet, scaring the crap out of Percy and Thalia. Bianca and Grover gaped at him. Gohan had been gone less than three minutes.

"Oh, I forgot." Then, Gohan stretched out and dropped the crushed bullets that were still in his hands into the cupholder.

"Are those… bullets?" Bianca asked, her eyes wide.

"Uh-huh."

"Oooooo… kay then."

"Dude, did you leave them alive?" Percy asked. Gohan gave him an offended look.

"Of course I did! They are gonna have one heck of a headache when they wake up, though." Gohan paused, thinking over something.

"How can the General use mortals, anyway?"

"Mercenaries," Zoe said bitterly. "It is distasteful, but many mortals will fight for any cause as long as they are paid."

"But don't they see who they're working for?" Gohan asked. "Don't they notice all the monsters around them?"

Zoe shook her head. "I do not know how much they see through the Mist. I doubt it would matter to them if they knew the truth. Sometimes mortals can be more horrible than monsters."

"I don't know about that. I think people just let their basic fears and beliefs get the better of them. No one's born bad, it's the choices they that they choose to make that determine who they are." Gohan countered, remembering a certain Chief Lector of the House of Life. Zoe snorted.

"That may be the way it works in your world, but not here." Zoe answered bluntly. Gohan sighed, shaking his head.

"Believe me. In my world, there were plenty of monsters." The car was silent for a bit after that. Percy was finally the one to break the silence.

"We need to get out of the van. Chances are that there'll be others coming after us soon. Or another robot. Or a monster."

"There!" Bianca said. "That parking lot!"

"We'll be trapped," Zoe said.

"Trust me," Bianca said.

Zoe shot across two lanes of traffic and into a mall parking lot on the south bank of the river. Gohan stumbled out, his face once again green.

"Oh thank gods."

"Seriously? _Again?_ " Thalia sighed. They sighed as they left the van and followed Bianca down some steps.

"Subway entrance," Bianca said. "Let's go south. Alexandria."

"Anything," Thalia agreed.

They bought tickets and got through the turnstiles, looking behind for any signs of pursuit. Percy had to drag Gohan a few times because of how interested he was in the subway.

A few minutes later, they were safely aboard a southbound train, riding away from D.C. As their train came above ground, they could see a second helicopter circling the parking lot, but it didn't come after us.

Grover let out a sigh. "Nice job, Bianca, thinking of the subway."

"This place is cool." Gohan looked around in awe.

"Seriously? You don't have subways or trains back on your Earth?"

"Well… maybe. But if we do, I've never used it. Or seen one, for that matter."

Bianca looked pleased. "Yeah, well. I saw that station when Nico and I came through last summer. I remember being really surprised to see it, because it wasn't here when we used to live in D.C."

Grover frowned. "New? But that station looked really old."

"I guess," Bianca said. "But trust me, when we lived here as little kids, there was no subway."

Thalia sat forward. "Wait a minute. No subway at all?"

Bianca nodded.

"This may be the first time that I've ever used one of these things, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't make much sense." Gohan guessed everyone else was thinking the same thing, because they looked pretty confused.

"Bianca," Zoe said. "How long ago..." Her voice faltered. The sound of the helicopter was getting louder again.

"We need to change trains," Percy said. "Next station."

"I could take it out again." Gohan suggested.

"No. Too many people around. If those guys start shooting, someone could get hurt."

Over the next half hour, all they thought about was getting away safely. They changed trains twice. Gohan had no idea where they were going, but after a while they lost the helicopter.

Unfortunately, when they finally got off the train they found ourselves at the end of the line, in an industrial area with nothing but warehouses and railway tracks. And snow. Lots of snow. It seemed much colder here. Thankfully, Gohan helped a little by powering up his ki, creating a bright blue fire around himself. Plus, he had his fur coat.

"Ahhhh… that feels nice." Bianca sighed as she walked behind Gohan, holding her hands out.

They wandered through the railway yard, thinking there might be another passenger train somewhere, but there were just rows and rows of freight cars, most of which were covered in snow, like they hadn't moved in years.

A homeless guy was standing at a trash-can fire. They must've looked pretty pathetic, because he gave us a toothless grin and said, "Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!' Percy gave Gohan a quick glance. Gohan understood, extinguishing his ki. Whicn, of course, left them exposed to the elements.

They huddled around his fire, Thalia's teeth were chattering. She said, "Well this is g-g-g- great."

"My hooves are frozen," Grover complained.

"Feet," Percy corrected, for the sake of the homeless guy.

"Maybe we should contact camp," Bianca said. "Chiron—"  
"No," Zoe said. "They cannot help us anymore. We must finish this quest ourselves." Percy gave Gohan a helpless look.

"You could ahead yourself, you know. You'd be on the West Coast in an hour if you flew there. Just go, grab Annabeth and fly back." To Percy's surprise, Gohan shook his head.

"I'm not leaving you behind. I'm not leaving anyone behind."

Percy gazed miserably around the rail yard. Somewhere, far to the west, Annabeth was in danger. Artemis was in chains. A doomsday monster was on the loose. And they were stuck on the outskirts of D.C., sharing a homeless person's fire.

"You know," the homeless man said, "you're never completely without friends." His face was grimy and his beard tangled, but his expression seemed kindly. "You kids need a train going west?"

"Yes, sir," Gohan said. "You know of any?" He pointed one greasy hand.

Suddenly they noticed a freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.

"That's... convenient," Thalia said. "Thanks, uh..."

She turned to the homeless guy, but he was gone. The trash can in front of us was cold and empty, as if he'd taken the flames with him.

An hour later they were rumbling west. There was no problem about who would drive now, because everyone all got our own luxury car. Zoe and Bianca were crashed out in a Lexus on the top deck. Grover was playing race car driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini while Percy dozed next to him, exhausted from the day's events. And Thalia had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK.

"Join you?" Gohan asked her. She glared at him, but finally sighed reluctantly and shrugged, so he climbed into the shotgun seat.

"This isn't bad."

"If you compare these cars to whatever it is you have, I swear…"

"No, they look the same. Except most of ours fly." Thalia looked like she wanted to smack him. Gohan decided to quickly shift the conversation.

"Sooooo… what are you listening to?" Gohan reached out and turned on the radio.

"No, wai-" Thalia reached out, but too late as music started to blare from the radio.

"Welcome back to Radio Disney! Churning out all your favorite hits for all ages!"

Thalia stared at Gohan, her face a deep red.

"Disney?" Gohan smiled.

"I swear to Zeus if you tell anyone!"

"No! Seriously, I like it! I thought they make great movies ." Thalia groaned as she sank back in her chair.

"Fine. I like Disney. Go ahead and laugh."

"Why would I laugh? I love Disney! Percy has the whole collection, let me binge them at his house."

"Yeah, I had to do some catch-up. This last one was… really good." Based on the look on her face, Gohan guessed that it had done a lot more than that. A smile came on Gohan's face.

"What's so funny?"

"Annabeth hates Disney. Anytime someone mentioned it to her, she would start ranting about Hercules and how awful it was." Thalia snickered at that.

"That was probably my fault. Back when we were on our own, I stole a TV from a trash can and a bunch of movies from a run-down video store and set it up in one of our hideouts. Annabeth liked most of them until I put Hercules on. Boy, her reaction was hilarious." Thalia chuckled.

"That's Annabeth for you." They were silent for a moment before Thalia spoke up again.

"Truth be told… I actually liked that film a lot."

"How come? Because it made the gods look like buffoons?"

"That was one reason. But, no. For me… it was the scenes with Zeus and Hercules."

"Really? Why?" Thalia pressed her lips together, before letting out a deep sigh.

"Because…. because I liked to close my eyes and pretend he was talking to me." Gohan stared, not sure what to say.

"Sounds stupid, right? Dad never spoke to me back then, at least not directly. So, I liked to play that movie and just listen to Zeus saying all those things to Hercules. How much he and mom cared about me. That they loved me. That I meant something to them. That I was destined for greatness." Thalia groaned as she looked up at the ceiling.

"That sounds really stupid, doesn't it?"

"No… not really." For the first time, Thalia actually smiled at Gohan. At that moment, a new song started to play over the radio:

"Remember me  
Though I have to say goodbye  
Remember me  
Don't let it make you cry  
For ever if I'm far away  
I hold you in my heart  
I sing a secret song to you  
Each night we are apart  
Remember me  
Though I have to travel far  
Remember me  
Each time you hear a sad guitar  
Know that I'm with you  
The only way that I can be  
Until you're in my arms again…  
Remember me…"

The two sat silently as they stared at the radio, which was now playing ads. When Gohan looked at Thalia, he noticed something: her eyes were red.

"You… okay?" he was almost afraid to ask. She glared at him as she wiped her eyes.

"Yeah… it just… that song is really good."

"It did win an Oscar." Thalia shook her head. Clearly, something else was bothering her.

"Missing someone?" Thalia sighed, shaking her head deeply.

"Everything is so… different from what it was before. I spent so long in that tree… everything changed."

"Time does that to people. Annabeth talked a lot about you when we were on our quests. You still meant a lot to her." Thalia looked morose.

"Yet I couldn't help her. When I emerged… she was so different. So much more grown up, and mature."

"We need to get her back. No matter what."

She shook her head morosely. "Gohan, do you know where we're going?"

"No."

"San Francisco. That's where Artemis was heading."

Gohan remembered something Annabeth had said at the dance: how her dad was moving to San Francisco, and there was no way she could go. Half-bloods couldn't live there.

"Why?" Gohan asked. "What's so bad about San Francisco? Is it a dark and evil place? Full of monsters?" Thalia snorted.

"You're not too far off. Pretty full of crazies. But seriously, the Mist is really thick there because the Mountain of Despair is so near. Titan magic— what's left of it—still lingers. Monsters are attracted to that area like you wouldn't believe."

"So, no Demigods live there."

"None at all that I know of."

"So, what's the Mountain of Despair?"

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "You really don't know?"

"How would I know that? I haven't exactly been told much. This world is as alien to me as Mars is to you."

"Ask stupid Zoe. She's the expert."

She glared out the windshield. Gohan wanted to ask her what she was talking about, but he also didn't want to sound like an idiot. For once, she wasn't being a complete jerk to him, which was nice. He didn't want to ruin that.

The afternoon sun shone through the steel-mesh side of the freight car, casting a shadow across Thalia's face. In a way, Thalia reminded him of Bulma. After all, they were both pretty confident and smart. They never took any smack from anyone, and were always coming with a plan to keep everyone safe.

He thought about how different Thalia was from Zoe—Zoe all formal and aloof like a princess, Thalia with her ratty clothes and her rebel attitude.

But there was something similar about them, too. The same kind of toughness. Right now, sitting in the shadows with a gloomy expression, Thalia looked a lot like one of the Hunters.

Then suddenly, it hit Gohan: "That's why you don't get along with Zoe." Thalia frowned. "What?"  
"The Hunters tried to recruit you," Gohan guessed.

Her eyes got dangerously bright. Gohan thought she was going to zap him out of the Mercedes, not that she could have actually done it, but at least tried to. But, Thalia just sighed. "I almost joined them," she admitted. "Luke, Annabeth, and I ran into them once, and Zoe tried to convince me. She almost did, but..."

"But?"

Thalia's fingers gripped the wheel. "I would've had to leave Luke."

"Oh." Gohan felt a sudden feeling of sourness come over him, something he felt every time Luke was mentioned.

"Zoe and I got into a fight. She told me I was being stupid. She said I'd regret my choice. She said Luke would let me down someday."

Gohan glanced at the sun through the metal curtain. They seemed to be traveling faster each second—shadows flickering like an old movie projector. Fast enough to match his own speed while flying.

"That's harsh," Gohan said. "Must be a shame to admit Zoe was right."

"She wasn't right! Luke never let me down. Never." Gohan bristled.

"Oh, for the love of the gods! Not you too!" Thalia frowned.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"You and Annabeth! You both refuse to accept that he's evil now! That he's with Kronos and wants to bring about a dark age! Why are you two so stubborn?" Thalia's face flushed red.

"You think it's stubbornness?"

"Well, yeah! You two are the some of the most badass girls I know Except when Luke comes up, Then you guys turn into"

"Turn into _what_? Weak little damsels? Is that what you were gonna say?" Thalia snarled, her voice daring.

"No, not exactly like that." Thalia was clearly pissed. Now, normally Gohan would have the common sense to shut up and let it be. But, neither he or Thalia was thinking rationally where Luke was involved.

"Oh no, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what you're saying."

"We'll have to fight him," Gohan said. "There's no way around it."

"A bit hypocritical, isn't it?" Gohan bristled as sparks danced across his chest.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"You know. All those stories you keep telling us at camp about all the adventures you went on with your old man. Didn't he always show mercy to his enemies? Give them second chances, the chance to redeem themselves. That seemed to work out quite a lot, based on what you said. How many of your friends tried to kill you at one point or another?" Gohan's expression darkened as a particular memory came to mind.

 _"Hey Cell!" Goku called out before hurling a sensu bean, which landed cleanly in Cell's hand. The android stared at the bean before laughing._

 _"Incredible, with everything at stake, you can't help but be a slave to your better nature. Sickening. All the same, I gladly accept this token of good sportsmanship. Mark my words, I'll see to it that you regret the gesture!" Cell laughed before tossing the bean into his mouth, roaring as his muscles surged._

"Yeah. Dad made a lot of good calls. Until he didn't. Even one mistake can have horrific consequences." Thalia frowned.

"So, you think trying to redeem Luke is a mistake?"

"After everything he's done? Stealing the lightning bolt, nearly starting a civil war between the gods, tricking us into going into the underworld and almost getting us dragged into Tartarus. Nearly killing Percy with that scorpion, nearly killing you when he poisoned your tree? You're really gonna defend him?"

Thalia didn't answer.

"You haven't seen him lately," Gohan warned. "He's nothing like what he was like before. He's a cold, evil, despic-"

"You didn't know him before. What he was like back then."

"Maybe. But he's a monster now."

"I bet you want that, don't you?" Thalia interrupted coldly.

"What?"

"You heard me. You're just trying to justify killing him. Make excuses about why there's no hope for redeeming him. Basic convincing."

"Everyone at camp thinks the same way I do!" Gohan protested, knowing full well that probably wasn't the case.

"You're not trying to convince them. Or me, or Grover or Percy or anyone else. You're trying to convince yourself." Gohan pressed his lips together as his fist clenched, out of Thalia's view.

"And… why am I trying to do that?" Thalia sneered.

"Simple. So, you don't have to admit the real reason." Now Gohan's eyes were starting to shift from black to green.

"That so? And… what is that reason?" Thalia let out a deep sight, rolling her eyes.

"Simple. You're jealous of Luke." Gohan's nostrils flared.

"Jealous? JEALOUS? WHAT DO I HAVE TO BE JEALOUS OF FROM THAT… THAT… TRAITOR?!" Gohan roared as a golden glow enveloped him. The radio burst into static as Thalia blinked the spots out of her eyes, revealing a very angry Super Saiyan. Now, most people would know that she pushed too hard, but these two were, unfortunately, too similar and stubborn. She didn't even seem fazed.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"NO! And I'm not jealous!" Thalia actually giggled, clearly enjoying Gohan's frustration.

"And the mommy's boy finally cracks. Tell you what, why don't you come back when you figure it out?" Gohan snarled, several blue sparks dancing across his face.

"I'm. Not. Jealous."

"Keep telling yourself that. Won't change the truth." Gohan's eyes narrowed.

"I'll do what I have to. No more holding back."

"Do me a favor," she said. "Get out of my car." Gohan was more than happy to oblige. Though, his method of leaving was to literally kicked the door out, sending it flying into the wall with a loud crash.

"I'm not jealous of Luke!" Gohan snarled as he climbed out, literally crumbling the ledge of the roof as he gripped it.

As he was about to leave, she said, "Gohan."

When he looked back, her eyes were red, but he couldn't tell if it was from anger or sadness. "Annabeth wanted to join the Hunters, too. Maybe you should think about why."

Before Gohan could respond, the door to the compartment flew open as Percy and Grover rushed in.

"We heard a crash, what happ…" no explanation was needed. The scene explained itself.

"Okay… someone's a little angry. Come on Gohan, let's cool off." Percy asked, his face clearly nervous. Gohan gave Thalia a final look, who simply sniffed and turned away, which wasn't as imposing given the now gaping hole in her car. Grover shook nervously.

"I'll… talk to Thalia's. Make sure she's okay." Percy nodded, leading Gohan to another compartment.

"What was that about?" Percy asked as Gohan plopped against the wall, burying his face in his hands.

"We argued. About Luke." Percy understood immediately, his expression souring.

"Oh." The feeling in Gohan's stomach rose again, a mixture of anger, frustration, and something else that Gohan couldn't describe.

"Are you… feeling okay? It looked like she really got undre your buttons." Gohan sighed deeply, groaning into his hands.

"I'm... mad, Percy. I'm worried about Annabeth."

"We all are, Gohan. But we're gonna get her back. Just focus on that. And save that anger for the next monster we'll have to fight." Gohan sighed deeply as he leaned his head back against the wall.

"Look, you're tired. Why don't you get some rest? It's been a pretty hectic day." Gohan was too tired and angry to argue. Ten minutes later, he found himself in the driver's seat of a Lamborghini. Percy and Grover were sleeping in a nearby Mercedes, close enough to keep an eye on him, but far enough to give him space. But, Gohan wasn't ready to nod off yet. He was still bubbling over his… conversation with Thalia.

As he watched the sun go down, he thought of Annabeth. And Luke. He really wanted to throw Luke into a mountain. He was still pissed. Annabeth was still a captive of Kronos, being subjected to gods know what. What were they doing to her? Something horrible, probably. Quite frankly, Gohan was afraid to go to sleep. He was worried what he might dream.

"Jealous? I'm jealous of Luke? Heh! I'm not jealous of him! If anything, he should be jealous of me." Gohan grumbled.

"That so?" a voice said right next to him. Mildly surprised, Gohan looked over, finding the homeless guy from the rail yard sitting in the shotgun seat. His jeans were so worn out they were almost white. His coat was ripped, with stuffing coming out. He looked kind of like a teddy bear that had been run over by a truck.

"Who the heck are you?" Gohan demanded, raising a fist. The man smirked.

"Jealousy is a dangerous thing, friend. Many a man have done foolish things over it." He said.

"That so?" Gohan countered. The man cleared his throat, then held up his hands dramatically.

"Don't fear the dreams, friend. If it weren't for dreams," the man said, "I wouldn't know half the things I know about the future. They're better than Olympus tabloids."

"Dreams like a podcast, Downloading truth in my ears. They tell me cool stuff." Gohan lowered his fist, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Apollo?" Gohan guessed.

He put his finger to his lips. "I'm incognito. Call me Fred."

"A god named Fred? Though that's not the weirdest God I've met." Apollo smirked.

"True, you certainly have gotten around since you first showed up, haven't you? The master bolt, the Golden Fleece. Helping those Kane kids stop Set from turning the country into a desert." Gohan gave him a surprised look.

"Oh yeah, we all knew about that. Zeus was ready to declare war on the Egyptians, but thankfully you managed to defuse that situation. That's twice now you managed to stop a war."

"You're… welcome?" Apollo smirked.

"That's the spirit!"

"Why exactly are you here, incognito?"

"Eh, well... Zeus insists on certain rules. Hands off, when there's a human quest. Even when something really major is wrong. Though, it's not the first time we've bent the rules, as I'm sure you remember." Gohan nodded, remembering a certain goddess in Paris.

"A bit of a risk, though."

"I don't care. Nobody messes with my baby sister. Nobody. Sides, what is Zeus gonna do? Turn me human?"

"Can you help us, then?"

"Shhh. I already have. Haven't you been looking outside?" "The train. How fast are we moving?"

Apollo chuckled. "Fast enough. Unfortunately, we're running out of time. It's almost sunset. But I imagine we'll get you across a good chunk of America, at least."

"Thanks. But where is Artemis?"

His face darkened. "I know a lot, and I see a lot. But even I don't know that. She's... clouded from me. I don't like it."

"And Annabeth?"  
He frowned. "Oh, you mean that girl you lost? Hmm. I don't know." Gohan bristled, clearly a bit infuriated by that sentence. He knew the gods had a hard time taking mortals seriously, even half- bloods. We lived such short lives, compared to the gods. But he still felt a bit pissed all the same.

"I don't suppose you know who Luke's partner is. The guy running the whole thing." Apollo shook his head.

"What about the monster Artemis was seeking?" Gohan asked. "Do you know what it is?"

"No," Apollo said. "But there is one who might. If you haven't yet found the monster when you reach San Francisco, seek out Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea. He has a long memory and a sharp eye. He has the gift of knowledge sometimes kept obscure from my Oracle." Gohan paused, his mind turning.

"But it's your Oracle," I protested. "Can't you tell us what the prophecy means?"  
Apollo sighed. "You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear through the search." Gohan was a bit annoyed by that, to say the least.

"I don't suppose you know a way for me to get back home to my Earth, do you?" Apollo looked a bit surprised. Even, though he tried to hide it, alarmed.

"No." Gohan blinked in surprise. Was Apollo… lying?

"Tell me, why are you guys so scared of guys like me? Otherworlders?" Apollo sighed.

"That is… a very tricky story."

"In other words, you don't know." Apollo shrugged.

"Great. I don't suppose you could tell me why I've never had one of those vision dreams that Percy seems to get." Apollo frowned.

"Now that is… complicated. Otherworlders are… tricky when it comes to prophecies and visions. They are outside the rules of fate and magic in this world. Basically, it doesn't apply to them, since they weren't born here. No limitations, no restrictions. You're not from this universe, so your spirit, your energy doesn't match with ours. You're, in the music terms, outta sync."

"But…" Gohan pressed, noticing that Apollo wasn't done.

"Look, I'm not exactly an expert at this sort of thing. But… the longer you stay in this world, the more you… synchronize. So, you might get a dream… eventually." Gohan frowned.

"Wait, why did you say that like it was a bad thing?"

Apollo checked his watch. "Ah, look at the time! I have to run. I doubt I can risk helping you again, Gohan, but remember what I said! Get some sleep! And when you return, I expect a good haiku about your journey!" And just like that, Apollo snapped his fingers, and the next thing Gohan knew he was closing his eyes.


	24. A Game of Minds

Annabeth's breath caught in her chest as she looked at the boy sitting across from her. The first thing she noted were his eyes. A dark, piercing grey, which seemed to be analyzing every single aspect of her. Studying her. Her looks, her stance, her glare. It was, without a doubt, one of the most unnerving things she had ever seen. Not because he was grotesque or a hideous monster, but because… he was looking at her with her look. The one she often used on people when meeting them for the first time. It was rather disturbing to be on the receiving end of it for once.

"You really shouldn't gawk. It's not very lady-like, is it?" he grinned, showing off a set of dazzling white teeth. Annabeth's face flustered.

"Well, I've never been very lady-like, have I?" she countered. She tried to move, but suddenly realized she couldn't. Annabeth looked down to see that her hands were strapped onto the armrests, trapped in metal bonds wrapped around her wrists.

"Now, I couldn't just let you run around, could I? Not very courteous, I admit. But… what's a man to do?" he frowned as he looked at the chess piece in his hand.

"Who are you? Who sent you?" the boy's eyebrows rose, twirling the knight between his fingers.

"Hmm. Why should I tell you that?"

"You know who I am. Shouldn't I know who I'm talking to?" a smile formed on his annoyingly perfect face.

"Ah, yes. But that would indicate we are equals. Which we are not, Annabeth Chase. Not at all. Not here, not now."

"Excuse me?" Annabeth demanded, breaking her cold demeanor. The grin on his face grew larger.

"Tell me, Miss Chase. Where do you see yourself on this board?" He gestured, sweeping his hand over the chessboard that sat between them, plunking his knight into the empty space.

"In terms of…"

"Oh, don't play around, my dear. You know exactly to what I am referring. Us, you. The Olympians, the Titans. Demigods and monsters and mortals and otherworlders and on and on and on. Tell me, where do you see yourself in the grand scheme? Is it the queen? The bishop? The rook?"

Annabeth didn't answer, keeping her face neutral. After a moment of staring, the boy sighed deeply.

"I understand. Afraid to admit it. To face the truth. A hard truth, I know. But a harsh one. One that Luke and so many of our brother and sister demigods have figured out. For in the end…" He paused as he reached for the board.

"We are nothing but pawns in the Gods' game." He turned the little piece around and around in his fingers. Annabeth didn't respond, pressing her lips together. The boy sighed out loud as he leaned back.

"Boy, Luke said you were stubborn! That was an understatement, you're more like concrete! It's going take a lot to break you, isn't it?" he smiled. Annabeth stuck her chin up as she snarled.

"You're just wasting your time. Because you will never break me." His smile grew even larger.

"Excellent." he pressed his hands together, his grey eyes gleaming as he stood up.

"Annabeth Chase, I greatly look forward to our next conversation. I think we're going to get to know each other quite well over the next few days."

"Keep telling yourself that."

He chuckled as he strode past her. A second later, a metallic hiss told her that the door had slid open. In that same second, the metal restraints on her hands snapped open, freeing her. She shot up and whirled just in time to see the door slide shut.

"Hey!" She slammed her fists against the door, gnashing her teeth in frustration. She froze at the sound of a tch tch noise.

"Annabeth, you should really keep that temper under control." She blinked to find herself staring at the boy, their faces divided by a thick square of glass.

"Fuck off!"

"Not the first time I've heard that. You know… I'm quite curious to see the effects first hand." Annabeth blinked in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" his smile grew larger.

"Oh, you'll see. Should be taking effect any minute now." Annabeth frowned.

"What are you…" she trailed off as she could smell… something sweet? Warm? She couldn't figure out what it was.

"I must admit, you are quite the fascinating subject. Which is why I asked to be able to interrogate you personally. I'm quite curious to see how much you can take."

"I already told you, that's never going to happen."

"We'll see. Might I ask you a question, Miss Chase?" Annabeth frowned as she looked around. Was the room getting… warmer? The walls seemed to glisten, growing a brilliant white to the point it was almost blinding.

"I must admit, our benefactor was quite… creative in constructing our interrogation methods. Now, most would think we would use truth serum or some other archaic method. But, I want to crack that shell of yours. So, I decided to go with something different with you."

Annabeth ignored him as she looked around, before something caught her attention… a black spot? She wouldn't have noticed except for the rest of the wall being so brilliantly white. Then, in a split second, that black spot grew, spreading cracks that quickly started to envelop the walls. Annabeth's breath hitched in her chest as the walls seemed to swell.

"So, tell me, Annabeth Chase. What are you most afraid of?"

Then, thousands of tiny black spiders burst from the walls and swelled forth.

Annabeth couldn't move. Her heart seemed to have stopped. The spiders blanketed the walls, crawling over one another, spreading across the floor and gradually surrounding her. A gasp of fear erupted from her chest as she backed against the door. It was impossible. This couldn't be real. Terror gripped her into memories. She was seven years old again. Completely helpless. Alone. Afraid.

A moment later, a scream of pure fear and terror erupted from the door.

A smile danced across the boy's face.

"Now we're getting somewhere."


	25. Arguing in Cloudcroft

"Hey. Hey. Wake up." Gohan blinked his eyes in confusion as he slowly realized that someone was poking him. He turned to see no other than Bianca, poking him with one end of her bow.

"Hey." She said. "It's morning. The train's stopped. Come on. We're not waiting around for you."

Gohan tried to shake off his drowsiness. Thalia, Zoe, and Bianca had already rolled up the metal curtains. Outside were snowy mountains dotted with pine trees, the sun rising red between two peaks.

They'd arrived on the outskirts of a little ski town nestled in the mountains. The sign said WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT, NEW MEXICO. The air was cold and thin. The roofs of the cabins were heaped with snow, and dirty mounds of it were piled up on the sides of the streets. Tall pine trees loomed over the valley, casting pitch-black shadows, though the morning was sunny.

Quite frankly, the weather wasn't that bad for Gohan. Thanks to the years of training he had had during the preparation for the androids, Gohan was much more used to cold weather. But it was still a bit unpleseant, even with his lion-skin coat. To say the walk up to the town was a bit awkward was an understatement. Gohan and Thalia refused to so much as even look at each other, still both pissed at the other after the previous evening's words. Percy really didn't comment, as he looked like he was deep in thought and not really in tune with reality.

As they walked, Gohan backed up and told Grover and Percy about his conversation with Apollo the night before—how he'd told him to seek out Nereus in San Francisco.

Grover looked uneasy. "That's good, I guess. But we've got to get there first."

They stopped in the middle of town. You could pretty much see everything from there: a school, a bunch of tourist stores and cafes, some ski cabins, and a grocery store.

"Well… this is quaint." Gohan tried to be optimistic.

"Great," Thalia said, looking around. "No bus station. No taxis. No car rental. No way out."

"There's a coffee shop!" said Grover.

"Yes," Zoe said. "Coffee is good."

"Coffee?" Gohan grinned.

"Not you! The last thing you need is caffine." Percy groaned. Gohan frowned.

"You're no fun."

Thalia sighed. "Fine. How about you two go get us some food. Percy, Bianca, Gohan and I will check in the grocery store. Maybe they can give us directions."

We agreed to meet back in front of the grocery store in fifteen minutes. Bianca looked a little uncomfortable coming with us, but she did.

Inside the store, they found out a few valuable things about Cloudcroft: there wasn't enough snow for skiing, the grocery store sold rubber rats for a dollar each, and there was no easy way in or out of town unless you had your own car.

"You could call for a taxi from Alamogordo," the clerk said doubtfully. "That's down at the bottom of the mountains, but it would take at least an hour to get here. Cost several hundred dollars."

The clerk looked so lonely, Percy bought a rubber rat. Then they headed back outside and stood on the porch. Gohan had some fun with the rat, squeezing it several times.

"What's the point of this?" Gohan sighed before squeezing the rat again.

"Wonderful," Thalia grumped.

"I could fly us down. It wouldn't take very long." Gohan suggested, though he looked at Percy when he said that, not Thalia.

"No way. Now, I'm going to walk down the street, see if anybody in the other shops has a suggestion."

"But the clerk said—"

"I know," she told them. "I'm checking anyway." She stalked away, walking down the road.

They let her go. After all, both Gohan and Percy knew how it felt to be restless. All half-bloods had attention deficit problems because of their inborn battlefield reflexes. They couldn't stand just waiting around. Same went for Gohan's Saiyan instincts. Also, it was pretty obvious that Thalia was still upset over her "conversation" with Gohan last night about Luke.

Bianca, Gohan and Percy stood together awkwardly.

"Nice rat," she said at last.

"My rat." Gohan answered before squeezing the rat again, turning his back to Bianca.

Percy set it on the porch railing. Maybe it would attract more business for the store. "So... how do you like being a Hunter so far?" Percy asked, trying to break the awkwardness.

She pursed her lips. "You're not still mad at me for joining, are you?" Gohan made a hmph noise, causing Percy to elbow him.  
"Nah. Long as, you know... you're happy."

"I'm not sure 'happy' is the right word, with Lady Artemis gone. But being a Hunter is definitely cool. I feel calmer somehow. Everything seems to have slowed down around me. I guess that's the immortality."

Gohan hmphed again. Bianca whirled on him, her eyes blazing.

Percy stared at her, seeing the difference. She did seem more confident than before, more at peace. She didn't hide her face under a green cap anymore. She kept her hair tied back, and she looked Gohan right in the eyes when she spoke. With a shiver, Percy realized that five hundred or a thousand years from now, Bianca di Angelo would look exactly the same as she did today. She might be having a conversation like this with some other half-blood long after he and Gohan were long dead, but Bianca would still look twelve years old.

"Just _what_ is your problem with me?"

"Nothing. I just have a problem with selfish people who only think about themselves." Percy facepalmed himself.

"Ayiiii…"

"Selfish?! You know nothing about me! Yet here you stand and judge me like you're my father or something!"

"And how does Nico feel about all this? If his sister, the only family he's ever known, just up and one day leaves him all alone with little more than a "see ya"? I'd be pretty confused too if I was him." Bianca's face softened, almost like she might cry.

"Nico didn't understand my decision," Bianca murmured. She looked at Percy like she wanted assurance it was okay. To show some support.

"He'll be all right," Percy said. "Camp Half-Blood takes in a lot of young kids. They did that for Annabeth." Gohan's face soured.

"I need food." He stomped away, storming out the back door.

Bianca rolled her eyes.

"Seriously… I hope we find her. Annabeth, I mean. She's lucky to have friends like you. Him… not so much." Percy sighed, shaking his head.

"Look, don't hold that against him. I know he's a bit…"

"Stubborn? Assholeish? Judgemental?"

"I wouldn't use those words." Percy rubbed his forehead. "I know he seems a bit cold, but he's just a little frustrated."

"A little?"

"It's just…" Percy groaned internally.

"Gohan has been through some really bad stuff in the past. And I mean bad. Things worse than anything we've come across so far. And he's been doing that since he was four years old."

"Four?"

"Yeah… and his dad had a bad habit of…" Percy paused, trying to choose the right word.

"Leaving." Bianca finished.

"Yeah. Not for bad reasons though, he sounds like a pretty cool guy from the way Gohan described him. A lot like him actually. But still… he was gone a lot when Gohan was little. Then, his dad... died, and then Gohan got sucked from his world into ours right after."

"Oh. Wow, that's… rough."

"Yeah… look at it from his perspective. Imagine being stuck on Mars. Everything's completely different from what you knew. Everyone you knew doesn't exist here. He doesn't say it, but it really gets to him."

"Geez… but that's still not an excuse to act the way he does."

"I know. I just wanted to point out why he's acting like that. He's not normally like that, though. He's, honeslty, one of the bravest guys I know." Bianca raised her eyebrows.

"That's sure a lot of praising. Almost like you idolize him." Percy's face flushed.

"No, I'm not!" Bianca grinned, playfully elbowing him.

"Still, you two seem close. Are you guys…" she pressed.

"Are we what?"

"You know…" Percy frowned for a second before his eyes widened, realizing what she was insinuating.

"NO!" Percy blurted, then quieted down as several passerby stared.

"I like girls." He hissed through clenched teeth. Bianca giggled.

"Just checking. You should see your face." She softened at the expression on Percy's face.

"Look, I was just messing with you. Seriously, stop blaming yourself. You risked your life to save my brother and me. I mean, that was seriously brave. If you ask me, you're just as brave as Gohan." Percy blinked in surprise.

"Thanks."

"Seriously. If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't have felt okay about leaving Nico at the camp. I figured if there were people like you there, Nico would be fine. You're a good guy." Percy smiled.

The compliment took me by surprise. "Even though I knocked you down in capture the flag?"

She laughed. "Okay. Except for that, you're a good guy."

A couple hundred yards away, Grover and Zoe came out of the coffee shop loaded down with pastry bags and drinks. Percy kind of didn't want them to come back yet. It was weird, but he realized he liked talking to Bianca. She wasn't so bad. A lot easier to hang out with than Zoe Nightshade, anyway.

"So what's the story with you and Nico?" I asked her. "Where did you go to school before Westover?"

She frowned. "I think it was a boarding school in D.C. It seems like so long ago."

"You never lived with your parents? I mean, your mortal parent?"

"We were told our parents were dead. There was a bank trust for us. A lot of money, I think. A lawyer would come by once in a while to check on us. Then Nico and I had to leave that school."

"Why?"

She knit her eyebrows. "We had to go somewhere. I remember it was important. We traveled a long way. And we stayed in this hotel for a few weeks. And then... I don't know. One day a different lawyer came to get us out. He said it was time for us to leave. He drove us back east, through D.C. Then up into Maine. And we started going to Westover."

It was a strange story. Then again, Bianca and Nico were half-bloods. Nothing would be normal for them.

"So you've been raising Nico pretty much all your life?" I asked. "Just the two of you?"

She nodded. "That's why I wanted to join the Hunters so bad. I mean, I know it's selfish, but I wanted my own life and friends. I love Nico—don't get me wrong—I just needed to find out what it would be like not to be a big sister twenty-four hours a day. I guess Gohan did make a good point, though. Maybe I shouldn't have been so rash."

Percy shrugged.

"True, maybe you should have though it over a bit more. But what's done is done." Bianca shrugged.

"I guess you make a good point."

"Zoe seems to trust you," Percy said." What were you guys talking about, anyway— something dangerous about the quest?"

"When?"

"Yesterday morning on the pavilion," Percy said, before he could stop myself. "Something about the General."

Her face darkened. "How did you... The invisibility hat. Were you eavesdropping?"

"No! I mean, not really. I just—" Before Percy could answer, the world exploded.


	26. A Special Announcement!

Hi readers! I know that you're been salivating for a new chapter, and I promise, one will be coming very, very soon. But in the meantime, I thought that I'd give you all a treat for being so patient. So, I've decided to do a Q&A session for you, my loyal fans. I shall answer the questions that you've been pestering me with for ages now.

For people wondering how this will work, basically, if you want to ask me a question, you will either PM it to me or post as a review. There will be a brief submission period between now and Friday, 11:59 pm. Then I will read over everything sent and answer them in one numbered list. I've already started this list, as I'm already filling out some of the questions I've gotten in the past, like what anime shows and films I've seen, and what I've been doing for the past few months. So mark those off your list.

Now, let me specify what the parameters are for this Q&A session, because I'm NOT going to answer just any question. Don't worry, I'm not limiting you by much. And let me just iterate that if you igore this list and ask a question referring to one of these three anyway, your question will be flat out ignored and not answered in the Q&A.

 **Personal questions:** What I mean by this is I won't answer any personal questions about myself, such as my real name, age, family, friends, religious/political beliefs, things like that. However, questions relating to my hobbies, personal favorite franchises/characters, films, and books are allowed.

 **Spoilers:** What I mean by this is that I won't answer any questions pertaining to specific plot points in any of my fanfics. So for example, I will NOT confirm who Gohan ends up with in the Percy Jackson crossover, or even if he ultimately ends up with anyone. I will not say if any characters will ultimately live or die, things like that. I will only confirm general long-reaching plot points.

 **Inflammatory questions:** Okay, I hate to have to add this, but I know I have to because it's the Internet. Nothing insensitive. Nothing inflammatory, racist, or offensive. Please keep your questions polite and reasonable.

And that's pretty much it. So, yeah! Have fun, and I can't wait to see what you have to ask! See you soon!


	27. Q&A

**1\. Yes, I'm alive. But I have very little free time right now.** I'm surprised at how many PMs I got asking me if I'm still alive.

Yes, I know that it's been awhile since my last update, and I'm sorry about that. Things have been very busy in my life, which has greatly impacted my writing schedule. I'm currently in film school, which takes up a huge chunk of my time. I'm also working on my own novel.

Furthermore, I suffered a big setback when my cousin accidentally got my Mac infected by vicious malware and I had to do a hard wipe and reboot, losing all my data in the process. Thankfully, most of it was saved on hard drives.

Also, I have a busy social life, and attend a lot of film and literary events in my off time. I actually just met the author of Eragon a few days ago, so, yeah, events like that take up my time. I also attend conventions, such as Star Wars Celebration Chicago, which I managed to get a full 5 day pass for with my friends, so there's that too.

Also, I am trying to catch up on my backlog of games from 2018 that I couldn't play because of school. Apex Legends in particular is addicting as hell.

At the moment, I currently binging Kingdom Hearts I.5 and II.5 for Kingdom Hearts III, which I've already picked up. And before I get the motherload of comments I know that sentence is gonna generate… YES! YES, I AM AWARE THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN THREE GAMES! I AM AWARE that there are a TON of side games that I need to play to understand the plot of this frustrating, convoluted series! But I have no intention of playing any of them, like Chain of Memories, Birth by Sleep, or 358/2 Days. Seriously, who came up with these titles? I am saying it now, I am playing only the main three games. So do NOT badger me with names or spoilers.

And second… no! NO, I am NOT going to do a Kingdom Hearts fanfic anytime in the foreseeable future, and since I just said that I don't plan on becoming a lore addict, don't expect Sora, Aqua or anyone else whose name I can't remember(God, there are a lot of original characters in this series) to show up in my stories. The closest thing I can promise is MAYBE an off-hand reference at some point.

 **2.** **Which anime I am familiar with?**

Okay, so I'm going to kinda cheat here. Since so many of you asked me about which specific anime I'm into or would like to see me feature characters from, I decided to bunch this all up. Basically, I'm going to list all the anime I've seen in one list. If you don't see your requested show in the list, then I haven't seen it yet. Also, there are some in the list I haven't seen, but I included because a bunch of questions all circulated around it.

And keep in mind that with some of these, I don't keep up to date with or stay current on. I just wait for the season to finish and then I binge it when I have the free time. Or I wait for it to pop up on one of my streaming services.

I have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and HBO, and I plan on cancelling my HBO subscription once Game of Thrones Season 8 is done and getting Disney Plus instead. Though I will add that this list will grow in the future, now that Hulu has made that exclusive deal with Funimation.

As for anime films, I decided to split this into two categories, _Studio Ghibli_ films and all the other films.

Oh, and really fast, when I say anime, I mean only anime. No manga. I have read manga, but very little of it. So, when I mention an show on my list, I will ONLY know the plot of the specific series as far as that anime has covered it. So, I will not know any of the future plot points that that specific manga has already covered. AND DO NOT SPOIL ANY OF THEM!

Oh, and another quick thing: I prefer dubbed versions. I know some people feel strongly about that. It's nothing against subbed anime, I just prefer dubbed over subbed.

Now then, let's get started. And let me clear the big one that I know everyone is going to ask right off the bat.

 **Dragonball Super** : Yep, this one. The one that everyone asks me about. And this is going to disappoint a lot of you guys, but I have NOT seen the series yet. I'm sorry, but as I stated earlier, I do not have the free time to binge a series like this, and none of my streaming services have this one yet. I could go online and watch it episode by episode on a third-party site, but one, I really don't want the risk of infecting my computer. Two, I would much rather binge-watch this series on my 65 inch, 4k television in one sitting, instead of on a weekly basis on my 15-inch computer screen. So, I don't know, or will mention, any of the exclusive characters from that specific show, such as Goku Black. And no, their concept of the multiverse is NOT mine. So no, the Gohan in my Percy Jackson series is NOT from Universe 7 or 6.

However, I have seen both _Battle of Gods_ and _Resurrection F_. I haven't seen _Broly_ yet. (DO NOT SPOIL IT!) So yes, I'm familiar with both Whis and Beerus. As to the question if they will ever appear in my DBZ/Percy Jackson crossovers at some point… maybe. I'm not sure yet. And no, I don't plan of having them meet the Gods of Olympus anytime. In my series, Gods tend to stick to their own universes.

 **My Hero Academia** : Yes, I've seen this series. So far, I've reached up to the first half of Season 3, still waiting for the second to come out. Definitely in my Top 10. I'm not planning a fanfic for it anytime soon.

 **Seven Deadly Sins:** I love this series. I binged the first season in a single weekend, and did the same with the second. I also saw the movie. I love all these characters, though Ban and King are probably my favorites. Escanor definitely takes a close third.

 **Attack on Titan:** I love this series. Especially that epic first season title music. Binged the first 2 seasons on Hulu, waiting for the third. And believe me, I have considered the possibility of Gohan, Percy, Annabeth and the other demigods fighting Titans. Or at least, something very similar.

 **Death Note:** This is definitely one of my favorites of all time. Binged the whole thing in a single weekend. I do have some good and bad news on this one. No, don't expect Light or Ryuk to pop up in my series. Maybe a cameo from the Death Note itself. However, I will admit that Light is one of my favorite anime villains of all time, and he partly inspired an upcoming character who will debut in Titan's Curse that I hope everyone will grow to love. Especially since, and tiny spoiler, this character is going to have a very similar dynamic with Annabeth that Light had with L. Yeah, that intense back and forth. Someone who will push Annabeth to her limits. I know you'll all get a kick out of that.

 **Pokémon** : I've played practically every single main game up to Let's Go Eevee, but stopped watching the anime after the Diamond/Pearl saga ended. I have seen many of the movies, the first three in particular are my favorites. I do plan on seeing Detective Pikachu.

 **Avatar: The Last Airbender:** Oh yeah, I know I'm gonna piss off some diehards who insist that this isn't anime. And to them I say… shut up.

 **Naruto** : Okay, I have gotten a ton of requests for this one. And it's both good news and bad news. Yes, I've seen some of the episodes. I am around the end of Season 3. But no, I am nowhere near finishing it, and have not seen any of the other shows. Honestly, I just got so infuriated with it and had to take a break, because it felt like it was taking FOREVER for anything to happen, and I was starting lose my mind out of pure frustration. I don't know HOW people watched this series weekly on Toonami in the old days. I'll probably get back to it eventually, but if there's an official version of this show that cuts out all the filler like with Dragonball Z Kai, please PM me, and I will happily watch that, because I do like the characters, especially Sasuke.

 **One Punch Man:** I love this series. I binged the entire first season in a single day. Saitama is one of my favorite anime heroes, and he is just badass and hilarious with his stupid/casual attitude. To me, the friendship between him and Genos is similar to the friendship between Gohan and Percy.

 **Fairy Tail:** I love this series. Binged the hell out of it on Netflix. The only problem is that I haven't been able to finish the whole thing yet, because all the streaming services only have the first two seasons in English, even though there are WAY more seasons already completely dubbed. So, I'm trying to find the others to finish that one.

 **Goblin Slayer:** Oh yeah, this one. The one that everyone knows because of its notorious first episode. I've gone through a bit of this series, and I love it. Oh, and relax, the rest of the seasons is nowhere as intense as its pilot. My favorite character has to be Goblin Slayer himself, he's like a medieval version of Master Chief.

 **Castlevania** : Seen season 1, haven't had time to see Season 2 yet. It looks beautiful.

 **Studio Ghibli:** I've seen every single Studio Ghibli film except the ones that haven't been dubbed yet and _My Neighbors the Yamadas_. I love every single one of these films, and I think Hayao Miyazaki is an absolute genius and a master at the art of filmmaking, and I am ecstatic that he's finally making another film. If I had to pick, I would be stuck between _Princess Mononoke_ and _Spirited Away._

 **Misc. Anime Films** : Right off the bat, some of my top top favorites are _The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,_ _Wolf Children,_ and _The Boy and the Beast._ Mamoru Hosoda is incredible, and I really want to see _Summer Wars_ when I can stream it. I've also seen all the _Lupin the III_ films. Also on the list is _Akira_ (and was confused as heck at the end), and _Sword of the Stranger_. And before you flip out, yes, I do plan on seeing _Ghost in the Shell_ when I have some free time.

Honestly, that's pretty much it. There's a few that I saw the pilots of, and others that I do want to see, like _Sword Art Online_ (YES, I've heard all the complaints about how bad the show eventually becomes) and _Assassination Classroom_.

 **3.** **How high can Gohan's power go?**

At the moment, Gohan's maximum limit is Super Saiyan 2. He has not achieved Super Saiyan 3 yet. I don't plan on featuring Super Saiyan 4, since that's not really canon anymore.

And yes, I know about the Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Blue forms and have pondered using them in my series at some point. At this point in the series, obviously, Gohan can't go into either form at the moment, since he's literally the only Saiyan in the universe at the moment. Plus, the trickiest problem would be finding the right circumstances for Gohan to need and achieve those forms, and whom to fight against. Maybe Gaia or Loki? That's gonna require some planning. I don't plan on having Gohan go into either form anytime soon.

 **4.** **Could Percy use Ultra Instinct?**

Okay… as I said earlier, I haven't seen Super yet. So I know very little about what Ultra Instinct actually is. The research I did online says that this is a a hypertensive mental state that greatly improves your abilities, and is supposedly extremely difficult to master even for gods. So, no offense, I don't really see Percy mastering something like that. If I had to say something now, and I may alter this once I learn more about this, the only Riordan characters I could see possibily using Ultra Instinct are Annabeth, Athena, and Loki. I chose these characters all for both their intelligence and strategic abilities. Especially in Athena's case, given that she's a god.

 **5.** **Who is your favorite character to write about?**

Oh, that's an easy one. My favorite character to work with is Annabeth. She's also my favorite character in the Riordan series. What I like about her so much is her spirit. She can be stubborn, but also very loyal and caring.

 **6.** **Do you plan on including the Buu saga?**

Hmmmm. That's… complicated. Would I like to? Sure. But… trying to find the right place is very difficult. I've planned the timeline around my series based around the timeline of the Riordan books, so trying to insert the Buu saga in there would be tough. Not to mention, Buu is seriously OP. Frankly, Percy and the others wouldn't be able to do much if anything against Buu, so including him would seriously shift the narrative away from them.

So, Buu probably won't be appearing anytime soon. Maybe that will change in the future, but not at the moment.

 **7.** **If Gohan sees the gods' divine form, would he be incinerated?** **And if he can't take it in his base form, can he handle it in his Super Saiyan form?**

That's an interesting question. And… well, yes, I think he would be incinerated, both in his base form and his Super Saiyan form. Quite frankly, I think the only way that Gohan could see the gods' divine form and survive would be if he was in the Super Saiyan God form.

Several of you have commented that Gohan has more raw power than the gods, and to an extent, that's true. However, just because Gohan can harness more power than the gods doesn't mean that he can survive seeing their divine form or defeat them. Remember, Gohan isn't immortal. And, I'm going to clarify something I don't think I made very clear so far. Yes, Gohan defeated Ares. But… **Ares severely underestimated Gohan** : Obviously, Ares didn't realize how powerful Gohan was when they fought him. When it comes down to it, there wasn't really any strategy from either of them. It was a match of raw power. Which is why I am fully confident in saying that if Gohan ever tried to pick a fight with Athena, she would win.

 **8\. Are there saiyans in the Percy Jackson universe?**

Good question. And If I had to guess… no, likely not. Honestly, I don't even think there are any aliens whatsoever in this universe. After all, this universe is heavily influenced and shaped by the gods, so I don't think there are even other planets, really. Take the Sun, for example. In the Riordan universe, the sun is actually the Sun Chariot driven by Apollo, instead of an actual star. I think the closest this universe has to other planets are the Nine Worlds from the Norse. So no, don't expect any native saiyans to pop up.

 **9.** **What's happening with the Kane Chronicles?**

Errrr… okay, I will admit I screwed up somewhat with this. Honestly, I should have finished Red Pyramid before I started Sea of Monsters, especially since the two are a bit more connected in my version than the original. But, I can fully promise that once _Titan's Curse_ is finished, I will be going back and finishing _Red Pyramid_ , as well as doing and finishing _Throne of Fire_ , which takes place soon after _The Titan's Curse_ in my timeline.

 **10.** **When will Titan's Curse be finished?**

Okay… I'm sorry, but I can't say for sure. Like I said earlier, I have a very busy schedule. I'll try to do a bit here and there, but I can't give a definitive date. Hopefully, it'll be done before 2020.

 **11.** **How many books of the Percy Jackson Franchise do you plan to adapt in this fanfic series? Do you also plan to include Heroes of Olympus? Magnus Chase? Trials of Apollo?**

I think I released a roadmap of this series a while back, but I'll list it here. I plan on adapting all of the main PJ books, Kane Chronicles, and Heroes of Olympus as well. However, I will admit that there may be a bit of a problem with doing both _The Lost Hero_ and _Son of Neptune_ , given the direction I plan on taking this series. I'm not saying that I'm skipping either of them, they'll just be a different approach.

And yes, I'm happy to confirm that I plan on featuring the Magnus Chase series as well, so you can expect to see Gohan going on adventures with Magnus, Sam, Blitzen, Hearthstone, and the rest of the Hotel Valhalla gang.

As for _Trials of Apollo_ … well, that's complicated. For one thing, the series isn't done yet, and won't be done until October 2020. I've only read Book One so far myself, I'm waiting for the rest to come out to do a binge-reading. However, I think the problem of clashing timelines appears again here. So, it might be a bit tricky to have Gohan going on adventures with Magnus AND with Apollo around the same time period. I honestly might just skip this specific series all together. I have to wait for all the books to come out before I make a decision.

Honestly, it still bothers me that Riordan is ending the entire franchise with this series. I would love to see a sequel series with Percy and Annabeth's children.

 **12.** **Will Gohan teach Percy or the rest of the team to use Ki?**

No. The reason for this is simple: the concept and utilization of ki is specific to Gohan's universe. Each universe has a different form of energy. Technically, energy projection DOES exist in Percy's universe, but it functions more in magic, such as with the Egyptian magicians or the Norse runestones. So, someone like Percy or Annabeth physically can't use ki no matter how much Gohan tries to train them.

 **13.** **Do you have a plan for how the series will end? And will there be tears?**

Okay, I already said that I wouldn't do spoilers. And I already said that this series will go through all the way through Magnus Chase, and beyond. But yes, I can promise that there will be more than a few water shedding moments. And yes, I have planned out the end of the series and know the ultimate fates for Gohan, Annabeth, Percy and everyone else. I can't promise that it'll make you all happy, but I hope it's satisfying.

 **14.** **Did you ever see the Percy Jackson movies? What did you think of them?**

Okay… I know this is probably gonna horrify some of you, but I'm actually one of those guys who saw the film first before I picked up the book. And I can honestly say that the only good thing I'll say about the movies is that they introduced me to the books and made me appreciate them more.

I truly hope that Percy Jackson will get the adaptation that it deserves, and as a TV series instead of a film series. And those hopes may soon be realized now that Disney is getting the film rights to Percy Jackson in their Fox deal. With their streaming rivals snagging the rights to every fantasy franchise they can get their hands on, with any luck, Disney will make a Percy Jackson television series for Disney Plus. If they do, I will watch that in a heartbeat. Happily.

 **15.** **What's going on with your Halo crossover fanfic?**

Okay, I know that it's been a long time since I worked on that. And honestly, I do want to return to it someday. But if I do, I will need to do some serious revisions. After all, my writing has improved greatly since then. Master Chief feels slightly out of character, and I had way too many plot threads. Furthermore, a lot of Halo content has been made since I wrote that fanfic back in 2012, such as Halo 5, Halo Wars 2, the Halo Escalation comics, and all the new novels. So, I plan on cutting out a lot of excess, like the Spirit of Fire, given where that plot ends up. Plus, Halo Infinite is on the way, hopefully coming out this year. Yes, I am still a Halo fan. So expect me to return to that someday.

 **16\. What is your favorite book in each Riordan series? And why?**

Okay, so I'll list them down below. Keep in mind that I love ALL the books in each series, but I'll be picking the one that I liked the most. Trials of Apollo will NOT be on this list, since that series isn't finished yet. I will be including Riordan's short crossover trilogy between Percy Jackson and the Kane Chronicles.

 **Percy Jackson and the Olympians:** **The Lightning Thief.** This is the one where all the main characters are introduced. Great world building, a great introduction for all the characters, a fun adventure, the twist with Luke was well-done(the movie ruined it for me), great set-up for the rest of the series.

 **Heroes of Olympus:** **The Mark of Athena**. I was seriously torn between this one and House of Hades, just for how tense-filled, emotional, and well-done Percy and Annabeth's journey through Tartarus was. But, I ultimately decided on Mark of Athena.

I chose Mark of Athena because it was an excellent payoff for the buildup of both _The Lost Hero_ and _Son of Neptune_. The reunion of Percy and Annabeth was both emotional and hilarious. I also liked that this was the first book where we got to see Annabeth's POV. I also liked the dynamic between the Greek and Roman demigods, and the final confrontation between Annabeth and Arachne. Especially because even though Annabeth wins, Riordan shows that she's still not perfect by having her taunt Arachne, which backfires on her and shows that she's not infallible. Also, probably just as a tiny bonus, this is the only book in this series that I have signed by Riordan. I found a signed copy in Goodwill.

 **Kane Chronicles: Throne of Fire.** This one was fun to read. I liked the bickering between Sadie and Carter, and the introduction of that hilarious dwarf. The senior home and the whole river scene were cool. Though, I will admit that the weakest aspect of this series, for me, had to be the romance, especially the love triangle between Sadie, Anubis, and Walt. I don't know, it just seemed like something that didn't match up with Sadie's personality.

 **Magnus Chase: The Sword of Summer** : I like this novel for many of the same reasons as Lightning Thief. Good introduction, great worldbuilding. I really like how this novel introduced and expanded on Annabeth's family in particular. Also, the first time I saw Riordan in person was at an event promoting this book, which I have a signed copy of.

 **Demigods and Magicians: The Staff of** **Serapis:** I chose this one because it features my favorite female leads in the Riordan series, Annabeth and Sadie. I loved the dynamic between the two, and I can't help but notice the little joke Riordan made by having Carter and Percy brawl in their crossover while Annabeth and Sadie hit things off right off the bat. And frankly, if I include this miniseries, I'm gonna love writing this story in particular just for how awkward its' gonna be for Gohan.

 **17\. What's happening to the Gohan love interest poll?**

So, I am well aware of how the Sadie Kane category suspiciously exploded in numbers in a very short time. So, I plan on taking the poll down and redoing it again. And I will be adding male characters just because so many have asked for the option.

 **18\. What is your favorite YA series? And are you planning a fanfic on it?**

So… that's tricky. I love YA, so I've read a ton of it. I guess Harry Potter counts, but since that's what everyone expects and since I've already done fanfiction on it, I'll be skipping it. So instead, here's some other YA series that I've read. Also, if there's a spinoff series or a film adaption, I've seen it as well: _Red Queen, the Grisha trilogy, Shatter Me, Eragon, Unwanteds, Divergent, Hunger Games, Vampire Academy, An Ember in the Ashes, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Legend, Warcross, Mortal Instruments, Throne of Glass, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Raven Cycle, Dorothy Must Die, Three Dark Crowns, Lunar Chronicles, the Unwind Dystology, Uglies, the Mara Dyer trilogy._

19\. **Will Gohan train anymore? Like to control his SS2 form or get even stronger?**

Yes, Gohan still keeps training. He's not going to let himself go just because he thinks he's the most powerful being around. Plus, he's still doing sword training with Chiron so he can better use Ascension in battle.

 **Well, I hope all you wonderful readers enjoyed this Q &A! I should have a new chapter up soon. Until then, keep reading!**


	28. A Snowy Brawl

**Hi my loyal readers. Thank you for your patience. I know that it's been awhile since my last chapter. A long, long time since my last chapter. But… things have been busy** **in my life lately, film school is a hell of a time consumer. Plus, I went back to my roadmap for this whole series and reworked it over a bit. Nothing major, just looking a few things over. However, I can confirm that when I get to Heroes of Olympus, whenever that may be, I will be doing BOTH** _ **Lost Hero**_ **and** _ **Son of Neptune**_ **, and I think you'll be happy with the paths I take everyone in. And trust me, it's NOT what you're imagining.**

 **Oh, and I would also like to mention that my friends surprised me with an early birthday present: a ticket to** _ **The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical**_ **, which is coming to my town in June. As a hardcore fan of this series, I'm curious to see this show, especially with the reviews I've read. I gotta admit, the thought of Annabeth singing is definitely a weird one. Is the musical really that good? Let me know in the comments.**

 **Anyway, now I'm rambling. Without any further ado, let this chapter begin.**

Percy groaned as the world swam around him. His entire body ached in agony. It felt like someone had brutally beat him over every part of his body. Percy let out a moan as he slowly looked up, his vision swimming in and out. All he could hear was a high pitch that completely muted everything else.

Out of his swimming vision appeared Thalia, racing out of the smoke. She reached out, gripping his arm. She seemed to be yelling as she gestured at something, but Percy couldn't hear a word.

Around him, the town seemed to be in pandemonium. People were running down the street as smoke rose into the sky. Percy blinked as he stared at Thalia. Then, she slapped him.

"HEY! SNAP OUT OF IT!" she slapped him again, causing Percy to stumble before looking at her.

"Ow!"

"About time! Come on!" Thalia grabbed Percy's arm and pulled, as the son of Poseidon blinked at her in confusion.

"We need to find the oth-"

Before Thalia could continue, her eyes widened and she slammed into him. They crashed into the ground as something flew over their heads, crashing into the building behind them with a loud, metallic crunch.

Thalia gritted her teeth together as something rose from the snow. A large something.

It turned to face her. Thalia reflexively took a step back, every instinct on high alert. His eyes blazed a dark red, like volcanic fire. His entire body was encased in black Greek armor, from head to toe. The only color variation was his plume, which was red, and a red boar's head across the center of his chest. He looked like…

"You're not Ares." Thalia growled. He didn't respond, simply pulling a pair of large double-sided battle axes from his back. With his body illuminated from the fire, he looked even more terrifying. Like a demon. Did the Underworld even have demons? Percy grunted as he stumbled to his feet, Riptide appearing in his hand.

"You're a child of Ares." Percy stated. The boy cocked his head at that. Then he moved,

Thalia jumped back, barely dodging the first axe swing. It passed so close to her face that she could hear the wind sing. Thalia jumped back as he buried the second axe into the ground an inch from her face. Percy charged, thrusting his sword at his chest. The boy whirled, swinging his other axe out at Percy, slamming him in the stomach with the handle. Percy gasped, doubling over.

Thalia leaped to her feet, her eyes blazing as her spear sparked with electricity in her hands. Before he could pull his axe from the ground, Thalia charged him, unleashing a flurry of thrusts on her opponent. The boy jumped back, gripping a nearby car and swinging it up as a shield. Thalia's spear thrust into the car. The car exploded, sending the boy, Percy, and Thalia flying in different directions.

Thalia crashed into a mailbox, which bent backwards at the impact. The boy crashed into a nearby shop, flying through the windows with a loud crash, glass showering around him like rain.

Thalia groaned as she fell forward, catching herself as she panted on the ground, leaning on her spear. Before the glass had even settled, he grabbed the side of the window and pulled himself back up, turning towards Thalia. His face was darkened in shadow, with the only visible feature being his burning red eyes. There wasn't a scratch on his armor. In fact, the only indication she had attacked him at all was the small plume of smoke rising above his body.

"Hmph. Disappointing." He stepped through the smashed window, the snow and glass crunching beneath his boots. Thalia gritted her teeth as she gripped her staff.

Then, before she could even blink, her stomach exploded in pain. The boy had reappeared in front of her, his knee buried in her stomach. One of his large hands wrapped around her neck and pulled her up. Thalia gasped, her legs flailing as she pounded her hands against his fist, with no effect. He let out a small sigh as he held her closer to his face.

"Hmph. The daughter of Zeus… I expected more from a child of the big three." Thalia let out a horse gasp as she clawed at him, her fingers sliding harmlessly against his metal armor.

"Hmph. You're lucky that they want you alive." He growled.

"HEY!" the boy whirled to see Percy racing towards him. He snarled as he raised his axe with his free hand. But at the last second, Percy leaped into the air on a plume of snow, giving the boy a face full of it. He slashed downwards as he fell, striking his opponent's back and sending up sparks. The boy roared in rage, dropping Thalia as he whirled and slashed back at Percy. Percy was barely able to roll out of the way as snow and dirt flew into the air. Thalia made a loud gasp as she struggled to breathe, rolling out of the way.

The warrior suddenly let out a roar of rage and stumbled forward, turning to reveal that he had been shot in the back with at least a dozen silver arrows, which looked like porcupine quills as they glistened against his black armor.

Percy turned to see Bianca and Zoe standing on a nearby rooftop, their bows ready and arrows notched in their hands. What looked like silver rain erupted from their bows, hitting their target dead on. The warrior howled in rage as he stumbled back, covering his face with one of his hands as he tried to bat away arrows with his other axe.

"MOVE!" Bianco roared. Percy blinked before getting the point.

"Oh!" He raced over to the still gasping Thalia, helping her to her feet.

"Hey, are you okay?" She gave him a venomous look before hoarsely coughing.

"Jackson, I was just punched in in the fucking stomach and nearly choked to death. Do I look okay?" she hissed.

"Sorry."

"S-shut up Percy, I think I'm gonna be… be…" Thalia promptly turned over and vomited on the ground.

"HEY!" Percy turned to see Grover running towards them. He gestured desperately at them. Percy nodded, wrapping his arm around Thalia and helping her forward.

"What in Olympus happened?" Grover sputtered. Thalia promptly vomited again, causing Percy to grimace.

"MOVE!" Grover tackled them as something whizzed over their heads. Bianca and Zoe jumped off the roof just as it exploded beneath them. They rolled on the ground, bouncing back to their feet.

Percy looked up to see the rear bumper of a car sticking out of the demolished building. Just then, another shadow flew over them, missing Bianca and Zoe by inches as it smashed into the ground with a loud metallic crash.

"What the?" Percy turned to see the boy grip the rear bumper of a Cadillac and hoist it over his head like he was lifting weights.

"Oh, come on." The warrior hurled it like a javelin, sending it flying through the air.

"SCATTER!" Percy leaped onto Thalia, covering her as they fell to the ground.

Then, a shadow shot over Percy, followed by a metallic crunch. Percy blinked and looked up to see Gohan standing over him, gripping the front of the Cadillac with his teeth clenched.

"Thanks for the save." Percy breathed. Gohan smirked.

"Here's your return!" Then, he tightened his grip, spun around, and hurled the Cadillac. The warrior barely had enough time to blink before the car smashed into him, sending him bouncing across the ground and right into the town hall with a loud crash.

"Woo! Didn't see that one coming." Gohan clapped his hands with a smile.

"Hey!" he turned to see Bianca and Zoe race up, their arrows notched.

"Can we please leave before we blow the entire town to pieces?" Bianca asked. Gohan frowned as he looked around. That was an understatement. Most of the town was demolished. Entire sections were torn out of buildings, a fire was raging, and cars were sticking out of the ground like sprouts. There didn't seem to be any people left still around, but they could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance.

"Good idea. I don't think that guy's going to stay down for long." Bianca goggled.

"Are you serious? You just smashed him with a car!" Zoe shook her head.

"The boy is right. That is not a normal warrior or a monster. It is something… else."

Before anyone could add to the conversation, Gohan's ears perked up at the sound of something whistling through the air.

"MOVE!" Everyone separated, racing towards the store with the exception of Gohan. He turned, his hand moving like lightning as he snatched something out of the air. It was a celestial bronze knife. In less than a fraction of a second, he whirled and thrust his hand out, firing off a ki blast. The blast slammed into the roof, shattering it into pieces. Silence followed. Gohan's eyes narrowed. Then, he whirled, sidestepping just as a second knife whizzed by his left by inches. Gohan responded with firing a series of ki blasts, slamming into the adjourning buildings, shattering them apart into flames. Silence followed. Gohan stood still as a statue, his eyes closed and ears twitching.

"What is he doing?" Grover whispered as he crouched beneath the counter, his coffee cup crushed between his fingers.

"Waiting." Zoe answered, crouched beneath the window as she clutched her bow in her hands. At that moment, Gohan's eyes shot open. He whirled with his fist out, slamming it into something solid, something that made a loud oomph and flew back, slamming into a Hummer. It was a cloaked figure in black. Before the person could move, Gohan was already on him, a hand on his throat. With his other, he yanked off his hood, causing a long flowing mane of blonde hair to fall out. Gohan's eyes narrowed into slits.

"You…" Abigial looked up and smiled, as if it was a casual day. She looked virtually the same as she did before: only now she had a bandana on her hair decorated with a bright orange sun .

"Hey, Gohan. Long time no se- aaaakkkk!" Gohan's hand tightened on her throat as he slammed her back into the car, causing the metal to groan.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" the scream that erupted from Gohan chilled everyone within earshot. Abigail looked up, licked her lips and smirked.

"That's a rude way to start a conversation. What, no hello, hi, how are you doing?" Gohan slammed her head against the back of the car in response. The glass shattered, showering Abigail in fragments. She let out a groan as a drop of blood slid down her forehead and sighed dramatically.

" _WHERE... IS… SHE?"_ Gohan hissed, his voice dripping with hated and venom. Abigail let out a manic giggle, her eyes dancing in delight.

"Oh, so we're doing the whole Batman thing now? Gotcha. Oh man, wouldn't you like to know? You should hear her screams, they're quite the deli-ghakkkk!"

His grip tightened on her throat, her eyes growing wide. Then, a hand slammed on his shoulder, causing him to whirl to see Percy and Thalia standing behind him, looks of anxiety on their faces. Percy's face paled the look on Gohan's face. It was… almost inhuman. Thalia was the one to speak.

"That's enough! Smashing her head in isn't going to get us any closer to Annabeth! Cool off!" Gohan snarled at Thalia. Percy quickly stepped in, placing a hand on Gohan's shoulder.

"Hey… come on." Gohan looked at Percy. A long minute passed. Gohan let out a deep sigh, letting go of Abigail. They didn't say anything to each other, but the look they shared said enough.

"Awww, how cute." Abigail sneered. Thalia shoved her back against the car.

"Talk." Abigail's eyebrows rose.

"What, you can't buy a girl a drink first? Not that I'm judging, just figured we play for the same team given that whole goth butch look you're going for … AHHHH!" Abigail let out a shriek of pain and doubled over as a silver arrow sprouted out of her left shoulder. The demigods turned in shock to see Zoe and Bianca standing behind them, Zoe's bow in her hand. Grover stood behind them looking like he really didn't want to be there, his coffee cup still clenched in his hand. Percy blinked with a look of both awe and fear on his face.

"Damn." He breathed. Zoe ignored him, stepping up to Thalia as she notched another arrow and pointed it at Abigail's head.

"Answer thy question. Where is Artemis?" She snarled. Thalia nodded before looking at the groaning assassin.

"Tell us where Annabeth is. Right. Now." Abigail looked up at Thalia before glancing down at the arrow sticking out of her shoulder. Then, she let out a dramatic sigh.

"You want the blondie so bad and the silver virgin? Fine." She looked up, her blue eyes blazing.

"You're blonde." Percy pointed out. Thalia glared at him. Abigail rolled her eyes.

"They're where the earth meets the sky." Gohan snarled in frustration.

"What the heck does that mean? Is she screwing with us?" Gohan snaps, turning to look at Thalia.

This time, Zoe spoke.

"No. I know of where she speaks." What unnerved Gohan was the look on her face. Not one of relief at learning where her beloved goddess was, but one of both fear and dread.

Before anyone else could say a thing, the ground started to rumble. Percy looked up, surprised, as Abigail started to giggle.

"You're in trouble…" she hummed in a demented sing-song voice. Then, a roar echoed through the air as the black armored warrior landed on the street behind them, glowing as steam rose off his armor.

"Gods damn it!" Thalia cursed.

"So, I see that you guys already met Pólemos." Abigail smirked.

"Seriously? That's a dumb name." Gohan countered. Abigail groaned as she raised an eyebrow.

"Say that again when he's gouging your eyes out."

But it got even worse when two skeleton warriors appeared. They stepped from the burning trees on either side of the road. Instead of gray camouflage, they were now wearing blue New Mexico State Police uniforms, but they had the same transparent gray skin and yellow eyes. They flanked Pólemos on both sides. Thalia groaned as she raised her spear.

The skeletons drew their handguns while the hulking warrior raised his battle axes.

Thalia tapped her bracelet. Aegis spiraled to life on her arm, but the warriors didn't flinch. Their glowing yellow eyes bored right into Percy.

Percy drew Riptide, Zoe and Bianca drew their bows, and Gohan snarled as he stepped into a fighting stance. His hands burst with bright yellow energy as sparks danced across his body.

"Come on!" Gohan roared.

"Hold on, let's back up," Thalia said.

They started to—but then three more skeletons appeared on the road behind them. They were surrounded. Then one of the warriors raised a cell phone to his mouth and spoke into it. Except he wasn't speaking. He made a clattering, clicking sound, like dry teeth on bone.

"Great. He's calling the rest of his friends." Percy groaned. Abigail giggled.

"You're fuuuuucked." Thalia responded by smacking her in the face with the bottom of her spear.

But then, before either side could attack, a warm breeze rustled past, like a gust of springtime had gotten lost in the middle of winter. Fresh air seasoned with wildflowers and sunshine. And something else—almost like a voice, trying to say something. A warning.

Zoe gasped. "Grover, thy cup."

Grover dropped his coffee cup, which was decorated with pictures of birds. Suddenly the birds peeled off the cup and flew away—a flock of tiny doves. Gohan was so stunned that he lowered his hands.

"What the?"

Grover collapsed. The group of demigods gathered around him and tried to wake him up. He groaned, his eyes fluttering.

"Uuuuuhhhh," Grover groaned.

"Well, get him up!" Thalia said. She had her spear in her hand. She looked behind her as if she were being followed. "We have to get out of here."

"What about her?" Bianca gestured at Abigail. She responded with a middle finger.

"Leave her." Thalia answered.

"It's near," Grover moaned.

"No, it's here," Percy said.

"No," he insisted. "The gift. The gift from the Wild."

"What is he talking about?" Gohan snapped.

Percy didn't know what he was talking about, but he was worried about Grover's condition. He was in no shape to walk, much less fight.

"I have a plan. I'll blast the guys behind us and keep them distracted. You guys rush for the forest and take out the other two."

"Typical. Always trying to be the hero, huh?" Thalia snorted.

"If being the hero means making sure all of us get out of here, then sure."

"Not the time, guys!" Percy snapped. Pólemos snarled as he slowly turned his axes over. A bright yellow light appeared in both of Gohan's hands.

"The Wild!" Grover moaned.

A warm wind blew through the canyon, rustling the trees, but Gohan kept his eyes on the skeletons. The energy in his hands intensified. He narrowed his eyes. For one second, the world seemed to slow down. No one moved, no one breathed. Then…

"MASENKO HA!" Gohan roared as he thrust his hands up into the air together and fired, a bright yellow blast shooting straight for Pólemos and the skeletons. The warrior roared as he raised his axes. He swung down, catching the blast just before it him and it exploded, showing him and the skeletons in smoke. Pólemos coughed as he waved the smoke away… to find Gohan standing right in front of him.

" _Gamo!"_ he howled before Gohan swung out, catching him in a brutal right hook that sent him flying into the sky.

The first skeleton fired his gun. Time slowed down. In almost slow motion, Gohan turned, reaching out and snatching the bullet from the air. Gohan then opened his hand, letting the bullet fall to the ground.

"He can catch bullets now?" Thalia said with wide eyes.

The skeleton drew a baton while the other raised his gun, but Gohan simply turned and raised his hands, firing a pair of ki blasts that smashed into the skeletons' chests, consuming them in a massive explosion. Gohan smirked as the smoke rose.

"Really guys? You're scared of a bunch of bones…" Gohan trailed off as the smoke faded, revealing the two skeletons standing completely intact. The only apparent damage they had taken was that their uniforms had been scorched off.

"Okay, fine then." Gohan shot towards the left skeleton and punched it in the head, knocking it clean off.

To his surprise, the skeleton didn't collapse. It simply bent down, picked up its head and reattached it.

"Huh. For the record, I've never fought a skeleton before." The skeleton swung his baton at Gohan, which he dodged by side-stepping to the side. The saiyan snatched the baton and hit the skeleton in the shoulder, smashing his arm off.

"Let's try this again." Gohan clenched his fist. A second later, a golden light appeared in it. He thrust it forward, aiming for the skeleton's chest. A loud crack echoed in the air. Gohan and the skeleton both looked down to see Gohan's arm stuck in the skeleton's chest.

"Huh." Gohan blinked. The skeleton looked back up at Gohan made a clattering, clicking sound, like it was laughing. Then, Gohan smirked.

"Gotcha." Then, he opened his clenched fist, revealing a shimmering ki ball. It then exploded, completely bursting the skeleton apart.

"Wooo!" Gohan cheered. Then, a gunshot made him leap sideways, turning to see the other skeleton pointing its gun at him. Before Gohan could attack, Percy charged in and sliced off his arms at the elbows. Then he swung Riptide through his waist and cut him in half.

His bones unknit and clattered to the asphalt in a heap.

"Thanks!" Gohan grinned, giving Percy a thumbs-up. Percy nodded. Then, his face turned to one of nervousness.

"Ummm…?" Gohan looked down to see the skeleton's ribcage still stuck on.

"Ah!" Gohan swung his arm around, but the ribcage just wouldn't come off.

"Stay still!" Percy grabbed the ribcage and pulled, causing it to pop off of Gohan's arm. Percy quickly tossed the ribcage aside, wiping his hands on his shirt.

"I think I hate skeletons."

"Same." Then, Gohan felt a tickling on his leg, blinking in confusion.

"Hey Percy? I think something's on my leg." Percy frowned, turning to look at Gohan… and froze. His face went pale.

"Gohan… don't move." He slowly raised Riptide. Gohan swallowed, and looked down to see several of the skeletons' severed hands crawling up his legs like ants. All around him, the pieces of the skeletons began to move towards him, reassembling themselves.

"GAHH! GET OFF!" Gohan started dancing around, stomping the pieces like bugs, the bones splintering beneath his feet.

"Stay still! Stay still, damn it!" Percy gestured at Gohan with Riptide, trying to cut off the skeleton pieces. Gohan managed to pull one of the hands off his chest, but then yelped in frustration when, despite his grip, the hand still lunged at him like a snake.

"You try staying still with these things climbing all around you!" Gohan howled as a bright yellow light surrounded his body, and then he shot into the sky.

"Idiots!" Thalia swore before she charged the second skeleton. Zoe and Bianca started firing arrows at the fourth. Grover stood there and held his hands out to the trees, looking like he wanted to hug them.

There was a crashing sound in the forest to their left, like a bulldozer. Maybe the skeletons' reinforcements were arriving. There was no way to stop them. Zoe and Bianca fired at their heads point-blank, but the arrows just whistled straight through their empty skulls. One lunged at Bianca, but she whipped out her hunting knife and stabbed the warrior in the chest. The whole skeleton erupted into flames, leaving a little pile of ashes and a police badge.

"How did you do that?" Zoe asked.

"I don't know," Bianca said nervously. "Lucky stab?" Just then, Pólemos slammed into her, pinning her to the ground beneath one of his large hands.

"Bianca!" Zoe ran towards her trapped sister-in-arms, but suddenly tripped to the ground. She gasped in surprise before turning to see Abigail smirking at her, her foot out. Then, before Zoe could react, Abigail flipped back to her feet and trapped Zoe on the ground with her knee.

"Did you really think that taking me down would be that easy, bitch?" Abigail sneered. Then, she smashed her fist across the Hunter's face, slamming her to the ground and knocking her out cold. Abigail let out a deep breath as she stood, clenched her teeth, and snapped out the arrow.

"I am going to enjoy this." Abigail hissed as she pulled a strange contraption from her cloak. It looked like something from a hospital, a clear plastic tube with a plastic tube attached at the top, that snaked around her arm to a sinister-looking needle. Bianca's eyes widened in horror.

"Get that away from me!" she shrieked, flailing on the ground like a wet fish. Abigail sneered.

"Keep screaming. I love that sound."

The trees behind the skeletons were shivering. Branches were cracking. And then, with a mighty roar, a massive pig came crashing into the road. It was a wild boar, thirty feet high, with a snotty pink snout and tusks the size of canoes. Its back bristled with brown hair, and its eyes were wild and angry.

"The fuck?" Abigail swore in shock as she took a step back.

" _REEEEEEEEET_!" it squealed, and then raked both Abigail, Pólemos and the skeletons aside with its tusks, somehow missing Bianca by inches. The force was so great, they were flying over the trees and into the side of the mountain, where the skeletons smashed to pieces, thigh bones and arm bones twirling everywhere in a massive plume of snow, causing the mountain to rumble. Then, a bright yellow flash erupted in the sky, almost as bright as a second sun.

Bianca gasped as she sat up, and then rushed over to Zoe.

"Hey, wake up!" She shook the Hunter until her eyes fluttered open, letting out a moan as she sat up and looked at Bianca.

"What… happened?" Then the pig roared again and whirled on the group of demigods.

"Oh." Thalia raised her spear, but Grover yelled, "Don't kill it!'"

The boar grunted and pawed the ground, ready to charge. Then, it howled as a bright yellow blast slammed into its head, causing to stagger.

"NO!" Grover cried. A bright yellow light shot down from the sky, landing next to them. Percy had to blink several times before recognizing that it was Gohan, transformed to his Super Saiyan form. Percy hated to admit how badass Gohan looked in that form, especially with what looked like golden fire dancing around him. He grunted in surprise as he dusted himself off.

"That's a giant pig."

"Simpleton! This is the Erymanthian Boar," Zoe said, trying to stay calm. "I don't think we _can_ kill it. Not even you."

"It's a gift," Grover said. "A blessing from the Wild!"

The boar said " _REEEEEEET_!" and swung its tusk. Zoe and Bianca dived out of the way. Gohan leaped back into the air, shooting back with his hands out, ready to attack. Percy had to push Grover so he wouldn't get launched into the mountain.

"You have a weird definition of a blessing, Grover!" Gohan shouted.

"Scatter!" Percy yelled.

They ran in different directions, and for a moment the boar was confused. "It wants to kill us!" Thalia said.

"Of course," Grover said. "It's wild!"

"So how is that a blessing?" Bianca asked.

"I just said that!" Gohan shouted as he flew overhead. At that moment, the pig charged her. Bianca rolled out of the way of its hooves and came up behind the beast. It lashed out with its tusks and pulverized the WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT sign.

"Keep moving!" Zoe yelled. She and Bianca ran in opposite directions. Grover danced around the boar, playing his pipes while the boar snorted and tried to gouge him.

"HEY!" Gohan shot towards the boar and thrust his hands out. But instead of blasting it, instead he flashed bright lights at it, causing it to squeal in rage.

"Hey!" Gohan grinned as he crossed his arms. Then, he dematerialized.

"Over here!" the boar turned to see Gohan floating near its left. As quickly as he reappeared, he disappeared again.

"Hi!"

"Over here!"

"Too slow!"

"Here piggy piggy!"

The boar roared in a combination of rage and confusion, thrashing its head in every direction trying to find Gohan. But just then, Thalia made a mistake.

When the boar, dizzy and confused, turned towards her and Percy, Thalia made the mistake of raising Aegis in defense. The sight of the Medusa head made the boar squeal in outrage. Maybe it looked too much like one of his relatives. The boar charged them.

"Dang it!" Gohan cursed, shooting after them.

They only managed to keep ahead of it because we ran uphill, and they could dodge in and out of trees while the boar had to plow through them. Gohan followed overhead, trying to get near his friends, but couldn't keep track of them from above the trees.

On the other side of the hill, Percy found an old stretch of train tracks, half buried in the snow.

"This way!'" He grabbed Thalia's arm and ran along the rails while the boar roared behind them, slipping and sliding as it tried to navigate the steep hillside.

Ahead of us, Percy saw a covered tunnel. Past that, an old trestle bridge spanning a gorge. He had a crazy idea. He looked up just to make sure, nodding as he saw the golden trail above them.

"Follow me!"

Thalia and Percy ran into the tunnel and came out on the other side.

"No!" Thalia screamed.

She'd turned as white as ice. They were at the edge of the bridge. Below, the mountain dropped away into a snow-filled gorge about seventy feet below.

The boar was right behind them.

"Come on!" Percy said.

"I can't!" Thalia yelled. Her eyes were wild with fear. Percy looked up again.  
The boar smashed into the covered tunnel, tearing through at full speed. "Now!" Percy yelled at Thalia.  
She looked down and swallowed, even turning green. Percy looked up, and shouted.

"Gohan!" He looked back. The boar was charging through the tunnel, straight toward them. Percy took a deep breath, and tackled Thalia, sending them both sideways off the edge of the bridge. They plunged into the goarge, the wind rushing past them. Thalia let out a howl of pure terror as she clutched Percy for dear life.

"I'm sending you to the Underworld, you asshole!" she howled. Then, Gohan shot down from the sky and snatched the falling demigods out of the sky. They plunged right into the side of the mountain with a loud _POOOOOF_ , blowing snow in every direction. After a long second, Gohan's head popped out of the snow, spitting out a stream of water. Percy popped out a second later, blinking as he wiped snow from his face. Both boys stared at each other before bursting out in laughter.

"Man, you really cut it close, huh?" Percy grinned.

"Maybe warn me the next time you're gonna jump off a cliff." Gohan slowly stood up, careful to keep his balance. He reached into the snow and pulled out a shaking Thalia. She kept her eyes shut, trembling as she tried to stand.

"Shut up, both of you! You're both assholes!" Thalia screamed, her eyes clenched shut. They stared at her.

"Are you okay?" Gohan asked. Percy frowned, and then a look of realization came across his face.

"You're afraid of heights."

Thalia refused to open her eyes. "Don't be stupid."

"That explains why you freaked out on Apollo's bus. Why you didn't want to talk about it."

She took a deep, shaking breath. Then she brushed the pine needles out of her hair. "If you tell anyone, I swear—"

"No, no," Percy said. "That's cool. It's just... the daughter of Zeus, the Lord of the Sky, afraid of heights?" She snarled, but before she could answer, a roar echoed through the gorge. Above them, all ten tons of the monster charged out onto the tiny trestle, which buckled under its weight. The boar free-fell into the gorge with a mighty squeal and landed in a snowdrift with a huge _POOOOOF_! The ground shook as it settled, rumbling throughout the gorge. As Thalia started to stand, the rumbling caused her to lose her footing. She let out a shocked gasp as she fell forward, slamming into Gohan. Not expecting it, the momentum sent them both tumbling down the mountain.

"GUYS!" Percy screamed, his eyes wide as he struggled to stand up. Thinking fast, Gohan wrapped his arms around Thalia and held her close, letting himself take the brunt of the fall. Thalia screamed in his ear, not opening her eyes for a second. Gohan grunted as they tumbled down the mountain, bouncing off the snow and rocks.

Finally, they reached the bottom of the mountain and slid to a stop. Gohan groaned, his body stinging from the fall. They were both breathing hard. Slowly, they opened their eyes and stared at each other. He was slightly cut up and bleeding, and Thalia had pine needles in her hair. Thalia's face flushed red when she realized just how close she was to him. She quickly got to her feet, dusting herself off.

"Thanks." She whispered softly. Gohan nodded, and then took a deep breath as he relaxed, the golden flame vanishing from him as his hair turned black. Thalia watched with wide eyes.

"I'm still not used to that." She shook her head.

Next to them, the wild boar was squealing and struggling. All he could see was the bristly tip of its back. It was wedged completely in the snow like Styrofoam packing. It didn't seem to be hurt, but it wasn't going anywhere, either.

"Guys!" Percy's voice echoed, as he stumbled towards them, his face terrified. Gohan grunted as he climbed back to his feet.

"I'm okay. Far from the worst tumble I've ever taken." Percy's face flushed with relief.

Grover's voice called, "Helloooooo?"

"Down here!" Percy shouted.

A few minutes later, Zoe, Bianca, and Grover joined them. They stood watching the wild boar struggle in the snow.

"A blessing of the Wild," Grover said, though he now looked agitated.

"I agree," Zoe said. "We must use it."

"Hold up," Thalia said irritably. She still looked like she'd just lost a fight with a Christmas tree. "Explain to me why you're so sure this pig is a blessing."

Grover looked over, distracted. "It's our ride west. Do you have any idea how fast this boar can travel?"

"Fast?" Gohan asked

Grover nodded. "We need to get aboard. I wish... I wish I had more time to look around. But it's gone now."

"What's gone?" Gohan asked

Grover didn't seem to hear him. He walked over to the boar and jumped onto its back. Already the boar was starting to make some headway through the drift. Once it broke free, there'd be no stopping it. Grover took out his pipes. He started playing a snappy tune and tossed an apple in front of the boar. The apple floated and spun right above the boar's nose, and the boar went nuts, straining to get it.

"Automatic steering," Thalia murmured. "Great."

She trudged over and jumped on behind Grover, which still left plenty of room for the rest of the,.

Zoe and Bianca walked toward the boar.

"Wait a second," Percy said. "Do you two know what Grover is talking about—this wild blessing?"

"Of course," Zoe said. "Did you not feel it in the wind? It was so strong... I never thought I would sense that presence again."

"What presence are you guys talking about?" Gohan asked

She stared at them like they were idiots. "The Lord of the Wild, of course. Just for a moment, in the arrival of the boar, I felt the presence of Pan."


	29. Past Friend, Present Foe

**Greetings, loyal readers! So, after I upload this chapter, I'm going to take a brief break in order to go back and revise both Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters, both to fix grammatical issues and fix a few plotholes that you've pointed out to me. Don't worry, it won't take too long! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

"Come on, Annabeth. Wake up."

Annabeth's eyes fluttered open. Her entire body trembled, her mind racing as she struggled to process her surroundings. She quickly realized that she was still in the same room, back on the bed. The light is almost blinding, not helped by the basted paintjob.

"Hey." Annabeth hadn't even realized that someone was in the room with her. Her head was pounding like a drum. She turned her head slightly. She had to blink several times to get the figure into focus. As soon as she did, her eyes shot open and her heart skipped a beat.

"Luke?" her voice croaked out weak and hoarse. Her throat was throbbing. No surprise there. He gave her a small smile. He looked better than he had before. Much more refreshed, but he still had a tired look on him, as well as the scars that struck out on his face. Not just the one from the dragon, but the one on his right cheek, the one that Gohan had given him.

"Here, don't talk." He lifted a glass to her lips. Without thinking, she immediately gulped down its contents. It was delicious, it tasted like Coca-Cola. Not just any Coca-Cola, but the classic. That was her favorite drink the one she always had during movie nights with her dad. Immediately, a rush of energy shot through her and the throbbing in her throat abated drastically. She quickly realized that it was nectar. Luke watched her drink with a look of… tenderness?

"Better?" he asked softly. Annabeth finished the last of the glass, and wiped her mouth, glaring at Luke. Annabeth started to sit up, but then froze when she felt a tug on her right hand. She looked down to see two silver bands on her wrists. She lifted her right hand to see a thick metal chain trailing down to the underside of the bed. She tugged it several times, causing a metal clang. It didn't give in the slightest. The length of the chain itself wasn't short but wasn't long either. It was enough to let her get up and move around a little, but not very far. She trust her hand out at Luke and gestured. She didn't speak, but the message was clear: _"Really?"_

Luke sighed. "Sorry, Annabeth. It's more for your safety than mine." She scowled at him. Luke chuckled, ruffling his hair in amusement.

"I know what you're doing." She cocked her head slightly.

"You're using that brain of yours, trying to calculate a way to escape. Analyzing every single aspect. Me, this room, the hallway outside. How many guards there are, what their shifts are. I could go on, but… eh, you get the point." Annabeth sighed in frustration, shaking her head.

"What gave it away?" she asked. Luke smiled at her.

"Your face. You always scrunch up your nose when you're thinking, same as when you were seven?" For a brief moment, it was like the past two years had never happened, and they were back at camp, best friends once again. Then, Luke reached for Annabeth's hair and ran his hand along her new grey streak.

"That's unfortunate." He muttered softly. And the fantasy shattered. Annabeth mentally took a deep breath, and steeled her heart once again. As he leaned over, she made her move. She cracked him across the left side of his face. He let out a surprised grunt and stumbled, falling out of his chair as he clutched his face, the other clutching the bed.

"ASSHOLE!" she shrieked. Luke sighed, rubbing the side of his face.

"I deserved that." Annabeth tried to slap him again, but she couldn't reach down at him with the chain. Still, she glared at him venomously, her eyes blazing with rage.

"How could you?! How could you do that to me? Use me like that? You… you forced me to hold that burden! You used me to trap Artemis! Ho- how could you?!" That last statement wasn't one of rage, but one of pain and betrayal. Luke couldn't even look her in the eye as he got back to his feet.

"We needed Artemis trapped. And I had no intention of keeping you there a second longer than needed."

"And now? You don't exactly have a use for me anymore." Luke's face blanched.

"That's not true, Annabeth. Not in the slightest."

"Why are you here, Luke? Are you going to gas me again?" Luke winched.

"Actually, I'm here to escort you to dinner. Our host wishes to..." Luke paused, contemplating his words.

"Meet you." Annabeth stared at Luke in disbelief.

"Host? Are you talking about… him?" Luke's eyebrows rose. Annabeth was referring to Kronos, King of the Titans. Of course, she wouldn't speak his name. Names had power.

"No. My partner." Annabeth's blood chilled. She flashed back to the Princess Andromeda. A figure completely cloaked in black. Blood red eyes. A voice laced with cruelty.

"Did you forget already? We've already met." Luke sighed. Clearly, he had been expecting that reaction.

"He was in… an unpleasant mood at the time. He wishes to meet you properly this time."

"Forget it. He didn't seem so friendly back on your ship last year. He almost killed Percy! He wanted to have me killed too!" Luke grimaced.

"That's all in the past now. He wants to start over. A fresh slate." Annabeth crossed her arms, an incredulous look on her face. Luke sighed in exasperation.

"And he wasn't asking." Annabeth paused, and then learned forward.

"Tell your friend to fuck off." She hissed. Luke rolled his eyes, clearly not surprised in the lease by Annabeth's response. He he had the look of a parent dealing with a stubborn child at the grocery store: understanding, but with rage and frustration bubbling beneath the surface, a moment away from flipping the screaming brat over and spanking the shit out of their backside.

"I told him you'd said that."

"And?"

"And he told me to tell you that either you can walk in calmly and with dignity… or kicking and screaming. I'll let you decide which one suits you better." Annabeth glared at Luke with her classic imposing glare.

"You make it sound like an execution."

"Did I? I didn't mean to make it sound so… grim. He can have that effect on people."

"Well… I can't go anywhere chained up, can I?" She held up her chain bound hands. Luke chuckled softly.

"No, you certainly can't." Luke held up a small gold key. A moment later, Annabeth sighed in relief as she rubbed her sore wrists.

"One more thing. He wants you to wear the dress." Annabeth tilted her head in confusion.

"What dress?" Luke pointed. Annabeth followed his gaze and froze. Annabeth stared in horror at the dress, perfectly posed in a mannequin in the doorway to the bathroom that Annabeth had somehow not noticed before that moment. It was a Greek chiton, but in black.

"That… is _not_ me. I am not wearing that! I am a daughter of Athena, not Aphrodite!" Annabeth's eyes blazed in rage.

"Try not to kill the attendants. They have orders to make you look… proper for dinner." Luke snapped his fingers, and the door slid open. Two girls a bit older than Annabeth stepped in, one of them rolling a cart with what looked like a department store's worth of feminine care products. Both girls were both stunningly gorgeous and wearing similar outfits to the one on the mannequin. The one rolling the cart had creamy brown hair, bright black eyes, and flawless white skin. The other had light reddish hair and blue eyes. Annabeth blinked in confusion. She could have sworn she'd seen them before… camp, maybe?

"I'll see you in an hour." The door closed behind Luke, leaving Annabeth with the two girls. The redhead cleared her throat, and picked up a comb and a bottle of shampoo.

"So…" Annabeth gave them both a cold look.

"Touch my hair and I will break that hand."


	30. Campfire Deliberations

**Hi guys! Before I begin this next chapter, I need to address a little error I made. In the fight with Abigail, I mentioned that she was wearing a bandana with a caucasus, which is the symbol of Hermes, except that I referenced several times that Abigail has apparent ties with Apollo. So I went back and changed it to a bandana with a sun. Sry about that. Anyway, back to the story!**

Gohan had done a lot of strange things in his life, both before and after arriving to this new world. He'd traveled to alien planets, fought creatures straight out of his worst nightmares, traveled the Earth… twice. And yet this world kept managing to surprise him. Safe to say, he'd never imagined himself riding a giant boar. Though it was safe to say that it was far from a fun experience. Gohan already wasn't a fan of riding in particular.

Imagine riding a giant steel brush over a bed of gravel all day. He kept occasionally bouncing right on his tail, not pleasant given how sensitive it was. That's about how comfortable boar-riding was.

"OW!" Gohan yelled after a particularly nasty bump. Thalia smirked at him, clearly enjoying his exasperation. Clearly, she was still simmering over their early argument. And throwing her off a cliff probably hadn't helped that much.

They rode the boar until sunset. He wasn't sure many miles they covered, but the mountains faded into the distance and were replaced by miles of flat, dry land. The grass and scrub brush got sparser until they were traveling across a desert.

As night fell, the boar came to a stop at a creek bed and snorted. He started drinking the muddy water, then ripped a saguaro cactus out of the ground and chewed it, needles and all.

"This is as far as he'll go," Grover said. "We need to get off while he's eating."

Nobody needed convincing. They slipped off the boar's back while he was busy ripping up cacti. After its third saguaro and another drink of muddy water, the boar squealed and belched, then whirled around and galloped back toward the east.

"It likes the mountains better," Percy guessed.

"I can't blame it," Thalia said. "Look."

Ahead of them was a two-lane road half covered with sand. On the other side of the road was a cluster of buildings too small to be a town: a boarded-up house, a taco shop that looked like it hadn't been open since before Zoe Nightshade was born, and a white stucco post office with a sign that said GILA CLAW, ARIZONA hanging crooked above the door. Beyond that was a range of hills... but they weren't regular hills. The countryside was way too flat for that. The hills were enormous mounds of old cars, appliances, and other scrap metal. It was a junkyard that seemed to go on forever.

"Whoa," Gohan said.

"Something tells me we're not going to find a car rental here," Thalia said. She looked at Graver. "I don't suppose you got another wild boar up your sleeve?"

Grover was sniffing the wind, looking nervous. He fished out his acorns and threw them into the sand, then played his pipes. They rearranged themselves in a pattern that made no sense to Gohan, but Grover looked concerned.

"That's us," he said. "Those six nuts right there." "Which one is me?" Percy asked.

"The little deformed one," Zoe suggested.

"Oh, shut up."

"That cluster right there," Grover said, pointing to the left, "that's trouble."

"A monster?" Thalia asked.

Grover looked uneasy. "I don't smell anything, which doesn't make sense. But the acorns don't lie. Our next challenge..."

He pointed straight toward the junkyard. With the sunlight almost gone now, the hills of metal looked like something on an alien planet. Just then, a loud roar erupted, scaring the living daylights out of the demigods. Zoe and Bianca had arrows notched in an instant, and both Percy and Thalia had they weapons ready as they looked around warily, anticipating the attack. Only Gohan remained unmoved, blushing furiously as he scratched his head.

"Errr… sorry. That was my stomach." Everyone stared at him in disbelief for a second before deadpanning.

"Really, man?" Percy shook his head.

"Why am I not surprised?" Thalia rolled her frowned. Now that he noticed, Gohan seemed a bit more... drained.

"You okay?" Percy asked. Gohan sighed.

I'm sorry, okay? It's just... I haven't eaten a full meal since Camp."

"Boo hoo." Thalia smirked. Gohan glared at her.

"Do you know why I eat as much as I do?"

"Because you're a greedy pig with a fast metabolism?"

"No. Let me give you a biology lesson, Thalia. The more actions you do, the more calories you burn."

"Okay."

"Look, you already know my dad was an alien. His species was bred to fight. They were natural warriors, it was all they did. And that comes at a cost. To do the things I do- flying, firing off energy blasts, enhanced strength, it takes a _lot_ of energy, and a _ton_ of calories. I need to consume that much food so I can keep my energy replenished. If I don't, that can be dangerous. My blood sugar will drop- which would make me vulnerable. I'll be slower, weaker. Let's just say it's not a pretty picture." Percy swallowed nervously.

"I think we stop for the night." They agreed to camp for the night and try the junkyard in the morning. No one wanted to go Dumpster-diving in the dark.

Zoe and Bianca produced six sleeping bags and foam mattresses out of their backpacks. The night got chilly fast, so Grover and Percy collected old boards from the ruined house, and Gohan zapped them with a small ki ball to start a campfire. Pretty soon they were about as comfy as one could get in a rundown ghost town in the middle of nowhere.

"The stars are out," Zoe said.

She was right. There were millions of them, with no city lights to turn the sky orange.

"Amazing," Bianca said. "I've never actually seen the Milky Way." Percy sighed.

"Say Gohan, does it look like this on your world too?" Gohan blinked as he looked at Percy.

"Ahhhh…pretty close. Really takes me back. When I was out on my own, I used to look at the sky at night, out in the middle of the wilderness. It was really something." Gohan sighed.

"But I have to admit, it was even cooler being up there in person." Bianca stared at Gohan.

"You've been to outer space?" she asked in disbelief. He smirked.

"Yep. In my world. We needed to travel to another planet to find… a special artifact. So we reverse engineered an alien spaceship and used it to travel into space. It's amazing to see just how big the universe really is. So many unique worlds." Gohan didn't mention the Dragonballs. That was something only a few people on this world knew about: him, Percy, Annabeth, Chiron, Zeus, Poseidon, Carter, Sadie and Amos Kane. The fewer who knew, the better. Percy frowned at Gohan's exclusion of the Dragonballs, but didn't comment on it.

"This sky is nothing," Zoe said. "In the old days, there were more. Whole constellations have disappeared because of human light pollution."

"You talk like you're not human," Percy said.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "I am a Hunter. I care what happens to the wild places of the world. Can the same be said for thee?"

"For _you_ ," Thalia corrected. "Not _thee"_

"But you use _you_ for the beginning of a sentence."

"And for the end," Thalia said. "No _thou_. No _thee_. Just _you"  
_ Zoe threw up her hands in exasperation. "I _hate_ this language. It changes too often!"

Grover sighed. He was still looking up at the stars like he was thinking about the light pollution problem. "If only Pan were here, he would set things right."

Zoe nodded sadly. Gohan let out a loud sigh at that moment, drawing both Zoe and Grover's attention.

"Got something to say?" Zoe snapped. Gohan sat up, dusting sand out of his hair.

"Look, I've listened to all you guys talk about how Pan will make everything right again. How Pan will restore the Wild. How?" Zoe bristled.

"What do thy mean?"

"I mean… how will Pan fix the Wild?" the air was silent, save for the cracking of the fire. Seeing no opposition, Gohan continued.

"Is Pan going to flick his hand and turn cities into forests? Okay, but what happens to everyone who lives there? Are you guys going to be fine with exiling thousands of people? Where are they going to go? And the rest of the gods are going to be fine with that?" More silence followed.

"And another thing. I haven't been here very long, but I've met enough gods to notice something. Gods aren't exactly subtle."

"Meaning?" Thalia asked, her voice brisk.

"What I mean is… you guys say that Pan's been gone for two thousand years. I've seen a lot of the Earth in the past year and a half. This just may be my perspective, but if you guys have been looking for Pan that long and haven't found anything… maybe there's a reason.

"And what is that?" Zoe asked.

"Maybe… Pan doesn't _want_ to be found." Grover shot to his feet, his eyes blazing in anger.

"You're wrong! Pan is alive! He sent us help," Grover insisted. "I don't know how or why. But it was his presence. After this quest is done, I'm going back to New Mexico and drinking a lot of coffee. It's the best lead we've gotten in two thousand years. I was _so close_."

"I said this before, I'll say it again. Maybe it's time that you all stopped running around looking for Pan and started trying to take care of the Earth yourselves." Grover bleated angrily.

"Guys, come on. Enough." Percy pleaded, clearly not eager to watch another brawl between the two. The savior ended up being Thalia, who butted in as always.

"What I want to know," Thalia said, looking at Bianca, "is how you destroyed one of the zombies. There are a lot more out there somewhere. We need to figure out how to fight them." Grover sat back down as Thalia spoke, still glaring at Gohan.

"Good point. Those things were immune to even my attacks. Nothing I did seemed to work." Gohan added.

"To be fair, Gohan, your energy attacks have never really worked against the monsters we've fought in the past. They were more like stunners, unless you really went all out. But then there's the collateral damage." Percy pointed out.

"True. But these skeletons are an frustrating problem."

Bianca shook her head. "I don't know. I just stabbed it and it went up in flames."

"Maybe there's something special about your knife," Percy said.

"It is the same as mine," Zoe said. "Celestial bronze, yes. But mine did not affect the warriors that way."

"Maybe you have to hit the skeleton in a certain spot," Percy said.

Bianca looked uncomfortable with everybody paying attention to her.

"What about those guys that attacked us back at Cloudcroft? They practically totaled that town." Thalia winched, rubbing her sore stomach.

"True. Those guys were… on a whole other level. I hit that big guy with everything I had, and I barely even fazed him. He was powerful. Like a freaking tank."

"Don't forget Abigail, that girl is just as dangerous. Her skills with a bow are quite formidable, on par with the skill of a Hunter. I still owe her vengeance for my fallen sister." Zoe added.

"What do you think they were? Demigods? Monsters posing as humans through the Mist?" Bianca asked. Zoe frowned, deep in thought.

"No, I don't think they were manipulating the Mist to appear human. What we saw were their normal form. But what they were… my first thought would be demigods."

Percy nodded.

"Makes sense. We know that some of the kids from camp have been joining up with Luke. We saw them on Luke's ship last year." Zoe shook her head.

"The boy certainly looked like a spawn of Ares. Similar temperament and build. And Lady Artemis herself called that girl a faint copy of Apollo. And that other one… the one that enthralled the Otherworlder."

"Amortentia?" Gohan's face darkened, clearly not wanting to be reminded what she did to him.

"That one's the most dangerous so far if you ask me. She certainly has exhibited several of the traits that the daughters of the love goddess can possess. The ability to change their appearance, charmspeak-"

"What's that?" Percy asked. Zoe glared at him.

"Charmspeaking is a rare ability that a few daughters of Aphrodite possess each generation. Essentially, they have the ability to make people do anything on their command just through speaking to them."

"You mean like mind control?"

"In a form, yes. It can be a very powerful weapon in the hands of the wrong person." Percy shuddered.

"Guys… I saw them before. Back at the museum with Luke's partner and the General." Gohan noticed that Zoe seemed to flinch at the mention of the General.

"Yeah, they're working with the Titans, we already know that."

"No! I don't mean that. I mean… Luke's partner was there."

"No surprise there."

"No! I mean… I remember now. Amortentia called him… their father." The air was silent.

"Father? You mean… he's their dad? So, they're all siblings?" Zoe's expression frowned.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Thalia protested.

"Maybe it's a symbolic thing. Like, he's not actually their biological father, but a symbolic one. Like Fagin from Oliver Twist. Just a guy who gathered a bunch of runaway kids and manipulated them to do his bidding."

"Would explain how he manipulated Luke. There's plenty of demigods who are runaways…" Thalia muttered.

"Bahhh! Whoever that guy is, he's been a thorn in our side from day one! He helped Luke steal the Master Bolt and framed Percy for it! He started this whole mess!"

"Even earlier than that. Luke told me that he met this partner two years before that, after his quest when that dragon scratched his face as he stole that golden apple." Zoe sat up, her eyes blazing.

"Well, whoever this guy is, we'll take him down." Percy frowned.

"You didn't see this guy fight, Thalia. You've never even seen this guy in person before. He's… intimidating. He even scared Annabeth."

"I thought that you've never seen his face." Percy shook his head.

"Still, Thalia. His voice, his presence… whoever this guy is, he is on a whole other level. Worse than Ares, worse than anything else. He took down Thorn like he was nothing. He made it look easy, Thorn couldn't even scratch him. I swear, he fought like… like…"

"Like what?" Gohan asked. Percy turned to look at him.

"He fought like you." The group was silent.

"What could all this mean?" Bianca asked. No one answered. Perhaps no one knew. Or perhaps they did- and no one was willing to put it into words.

"Never mind," Zoe told her. "The answer will reveal itself in time. In the meantime, we should plan our next move. When we get through this junkyard, we must continue west. If we can find a road, we can hitchhike to the nearest city. I think that would be Las Vegas."

"Nope, nope nope nope." Gohan stammered, his eyes wide. He was about to protest that he, Grover, and Percy had had bad experiences in that town, but Bianca beat them to it.

"No!" she said. "Not there!"

She looked really freaked out, like she'd just been dropped off the steep end of a roller coaster.

Zoe frowned. "Why?"

Bianca took a shaky breath. "I... I think we stayed there for a while. Nico and I. When we were traveling. And then, I can't remember..."

Suddenly, Percy had a really bad thought. He remembered what Bianca had told him about Nico and her staying in a hotel for a while.

"Bianca," he asked. "That hotel you stayed at. Was it possibly called the Lotus Hotel and Casino?"

Her eyes widened. "How could you know that?" "Oh, great," Percy said. Gohan shot up, his eyes blazing.

"HAH! I knew it!" he cheered, a look of triumph on his face. Everyone else just stared at him with expression of shock on their faces.

"W-what?" Bianca stammered. Gohan pointed at her.

"I knew I saw you somewhere before! I knew it! It's been driving me nuts since I first met you!" Gohan turned towards Percy.

"I saw her at the casino- I was chatting with Nico and then Bianca dragged him off!" Bianca stared at Gohan with wide eyes.

"Wait," Thalia said. "What is the Lotus Casino?"

"The greatest timewaster in the universe." Gohan answered. Percy rolled his eyes.

"A couple of years ago," he said, "Grover, Annabeth, Gohan and I got trapped there. It's designed so you never want to leave, and it makes time speed up. We stayed for about an hour. When we came out, five days had passed."

"No," Bianca said. "No, that's not possible."

"You said somebody came and got you out," Percy remembered.

"Yes."

"What did he look like? What did he say?"

"I... I don't remember. Please, I really don't want to talk about this."

Zoe sat forward, her eyebrows knit with concern. "You said that Washington, D.C., had changed when you went back last summer. You didn't remember the subway being there."

"Yes, but—"

"Bianca," Zoe said, "can you tell me the name of the president of the United States right now?"

"Don't be silly," Bianca said. She told them the correct name of the president. "And who was the president before that?" Zoe asked.  
Bianca thought for a while. "Roosevelt."  
Zoe swallowed. "Theodore or Franklin'?"

"Franklin," Bianca said. "F.D.R."

"Bianca," Zoe said. "F.D.R. was not the last president. That was about seventy years ago."

"Huh."

"That's impossible," Bianca said. "I... I'm not that old." She stared at her hands as if to make sure they weren't wrinkled. Thalia's eyes turned sad. "It's okay, Bianca, the important thing is you and Nico are safe. You made it out."

"But how?" Gohan asked. "We were only in there for an hour and we barely escaped. How could you have escaped after being there for so long?"

"I told you." Bianca looked about ready to cry. "A man came and said it was time to leave. And—"

"But who? Why did he do it?"

Before she could answer, they were hit with a blazing light from down the road. The headlights of a car appeared out of nowhere. They grabbed their sleeping bags and got out of the way as a deathly white limousine slid to a stop in front of them.

"Well, that's not suspicious at all." Gohan frowned.

The back door of the limo opened right next to him. Before Gohan could step away, the point of a sword touched his throat.

He heard the sound of Zoe and Bianca drawing their bows. As the owner of the sword got out of the car, Gohan's breath rushed out of him as his eyes blazed with rage.

He smiled cruelly. "Not so fast now, are you, you little freak?"

He was a big man with a crew cut, a black leather biker's jacket, black jeans, a white muscle shirt, and combat boots. Wraparound shades hid his eyes, but Gohan knew what was behind those glasses—hollow sockets filled with flames. Gohan knew exactly who this was: the same person who tried to kill him and his friends almost two years ago- Gohan's least favorite god. To be frank, Gohan had never expected to see him again: given that Gohan had blasted him into a thousand pieces.

"Ares," Gohan snarled. The god grinned.

"Long time no see, brat."


	31. Awkward Conversation of Love

A burst of gold light erupted from Gohan, surrounding him in golden fire.

"Here for a rematch?" Gohan snarled. Ares sneered.

"Hardly." Before Gohan could even blink, Ares whirled and pointed his sword tip at Percy's neck.

"One move, brat. Just try it." Gohan hissed in frustration, his eyes darting between Ares and Percy.

The war god glanced at their friends. "At ease, people."  
He snapped his fingers, and their weapons fell to the ground.

"This is a friendly meeting." He dug the point of his blade a little farther under Percy's chin. "Of course I'd _like_ to take your head for a trophy, but someone wants to see these two brats. And I never behead my enemies in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Thalia asked.

Ares looked over at her. "Well, well. I heard you were back."

He lowered his sword and pushed Percy away. Gohan snarled, stepped into a fighting position.

"Hold on." Percy held his hand out, before turning towards Ares.

"Swear on the Styx that you're not going to fight us." The flames in Ares' eyes intensified.

"Don't trust me?" Then, he bellowed in laughter.

"Smart brat. Fine. I swear on the Styx that I won't fight you. Tonight only." The sky rumbled, signaling that the deal was sealed. Gohan frowned at Percy, but the latter nodded. Gohan reluctantly sighed, and then the golden glow vanished as he turned back to his normal form.

"Thalia, daughter of Zeus," Ares mused. "You're not hanging out with very good company."

"I prefer some more than others." Thalia looked at Gohan when she said the last part.

"What's your business, Ares?" she asked. "Who's in the car?"

Ares smiled, enjoying the attention. "Oh, I doubt she wants to meet the rest of you. Particularly not _them_." He jutted his chin toward Zoe and Bianca. Then, he looked at Percy.

"She wants to talk to you first, sea brat. Then the freak. Why don't you all go get some tacos while you wait? I bet the monkey is dying to eat something."

"We will not leave these two alone with thee, Lord Ares," Zoe said.

"Besides," Grover managed, "the taco place is closed."

Ares snapped his fingers again. The lights inside the taqueria suddenly blazed to life. The boards flew off the door and the CLOSED sign flipped to OPEN. "You were saying, goat boy?" Gohan tried to keep a stubborn look on his face, but couldn't help but look longingly at the taco restaurant. The smell wasn't helping him. His stomach was betraying him. And it was obvious.

"Go on," Percy said. "I'll handle this." He looked at Gohan.

"I'll get you when I'm done."

"You heard the boy," Ares said. "He's big and strong. He's got things under control." Gohan gave Percy one last look, and then raced towards the restaurant. The doors flew open and a pair of bells dinged as Gohan raced in. The restaurant was completely empty. But there was a large buffet table in the center of the room, piled high with steaming tacos. It almost reached the top of the room. A fountain drink dispenser sat against the back wall, labeled with every soft drink possible. Gohan's mouth watered.

By the time the others entered the restaurant, Gohan had already piled three plates high with tacos and was scarfing them down like a madman.

"That… is the most disgusting thing that I've ever seen." Bianca stared. Zoe scoffed.

"Men. Their eating habits are… repulsive." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Gohan ignored them. All he cared about was filling that hungry void in his stomach. He took a break only to chug down a cupful of Classic Coke.

"So- mfff- delicious- can't-mmm- stop." One thing Gohan never got tired of in this world was just the sheer variety of food. He always seemed to find something new.

Just as Gohan finished scarfing down the third plate, the bells dinged. Gohan looked up to see Percy enter the restaurant. Gohan froze in the middle of a taco. Percy had a strange look on his face. It looked like… well, he couldn't describe it. Anger? Frustration? Numbness? Percy walked straight to Gohan, looking down, staring at his best friend.

"Uhhh… you okay?" Percy nodded slowly.

"You're up." Percy turned, but then glanced back.

"You might want to clean up first." Then, he walked to the buffet table and placed several tacos on a plate. Gohan frowned, but stood up and wiped his face. Giving a nervous look at Thalia and the Hunters, he stepped out of the restaurant. Ares was exactly where Gohan had left him, still smirking as he approached.

"Enjoy the tacos, brat?"

"What the heck did you do to Percy?" Gohan demanded. The war god grinned.

"Not a thing, like I promised. She just has that effect on mortal idiots like you." Gohan stared Ares down.

"If this is a trick… I'll make sure that you don't reform for a long, long time."

Ares regarded him with loathing, then opened the limousine door like a chauffeur.

"Get inside, punk," he said. "And mind your manners. She's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am."

When he saw her, the saiyan's jaw dropped. Gohan had been struck numb before. But that had always been out of fear. But this… this was different. He forgot his name. He forgot where he was. He even forgot how to speak in complete sentences.

She was wearing a red satin dress and her hair was curled in a cascade of ringlets. Her face was the most beautiful he'd ever seen: perfect makeup, dazzling eyes, a smile that would've lit up the dark side of the moon. Gohan couldn't even describe what she looked like.

When she smiled at him, just for a moment she looked like Annabeth. Then, her blonde hair turned caramel with red streaks, making her look like…

"So _you're_ the Otherworlder that has everyone all in a tizzy!" She looked him over and beamed.

"Uhhhhhh…" Gohan swallowed nervously. "Who… who are you?" she smiled.

"Why." the goddess said. "I am Aphrodite." His eyes widened.

"You're the goddess of love. And you're Silena's mom." The goddess nodded.

"Yes. And I know who _you_ are, Son Gohan." Gohan gulped. No one pronounced his name like that here. Aphrodite looked him up and down.

"So, you're the one who humiliated Ares when he stole that bolt."

"Ummm… you're not mad about that… are you?" The goddess beamed.

"Oh, of course not! That adorable lummox needed to be knocked down a peg! He's much more… passionate now.". Gohan slipped into the seat across from her.

He swallowed nervously. She smiled. "Aren't you sweet. Hold this, please."

She handed him a polished mirror the size of a dinner plate and had him hold it up for her. She leaned forward and dabbed at her lipstick.

"Do you know why you're here?" she asked. Gohan swallowed nervously. His tail twitched like crazy. Why couldn't he form a complete sentence? She was only a lady. A seriously beautiful lady. He never got like this with girls. Ever!

"I... I don't know," he managed. She frowned.

"Oh my." Aphrodite said. "Your naiveté is quite… adorable."

"Huh?" she leaned forward.

"Tell me, what are the girls like where you come from?"

"Ummm… I didn't really know any." The goddess' eyebrows rose.

"None?"

"Yeah… I kinda lived out in a forest my whole life. I didn't really go into the city much." The goddess smiled.

"My my, that explains quite a lot."

"Wait, explains what?"

Outside the car, Gohan could hear Ares chuckling. He had a feeling he could hear every word they said. The idea of him being out there made him angry.

"Look, I'm not exactly in the mood for talking about love-" Aphrodite rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes, all that. Not important." Gohan frowned.

"Still, I-"

"Tell me, why are you on this quest?" Gohan was taken aback.

"Well, to save Artemis-"

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Oh, Artemis. _Please_. Talk about a hopeless case. I mean, if they were going to kidnap a goddess, she should be breathtakingly beautiful, don't you think? I pity the poor dears who have to imprison Artemis. Bo-ring!"

She made him hold the mirror a little higher. She seemed to have found a microscopic problem at the corner of her eye and dabbed at her mascara. " But my dear Otherworlder, that is why the _others_ are on this quest. I'm more interested in _you_. So I'll asking you again: why are _you_ on this quest?"

Gohan's heart pounded. He didn't want to answer, the answer just slipped out of his mouth. "Annabeth is in trouble."

Aphrodite beamed. "Exactly!"

"I have to save her," Gohan said. "No…. I need to save her." Aphrodite's eyes gleamed.

"That's so _cute_! But… tell me, why is it you have to be the one to save her?"

"I… I just need to!" Gohan shifted nervously in his seat.

"It- it's my fault she got captured to begin with. I need to make it right. I have to prove that-"

Aphrodite made a _tsk-tsk_ sound. "Gohan, I'm on your side.

"I'm the reason you and your friend are here, after all."

He stared at her. "What?"

"The poisoned T-shirt the Stoll brothers gave Phoebe," she said. "Did you think that was an accident? Sending Blackjack to find Percy? Helping you both sneak out of the camp?"

" _You_ did that?"

"Of course! Because really, how boring these Hunters are! A quest for some monster, blah blah blah. Saving Artemis. Let her stay lost, I say. But a quest for true love—"

"Wait a second, _what?_ —"

"Oh, my dear. You don't need to say it."

He sputtered. "I don't know what—" Aphrodite smirked.

"Don't you?" Her eyes seemed to twinkle. Gohan's face flushed. He wasn't sure how he looked, probably like a tomato by that point.

"Then tell me, why is it you get so agitated every time that the son of Hermes is mentioned?" Gohan stiffened as a burst of lightning raced across his body. Aphrodite smiled.

"Because he's a traitor? A dirtbag, a monster, an asshole! A slick jerk who's making all of our lives miserable. I am so sick of the way that Thalia and Annabeth keep defending him! What is wrong with them?" Gohan's eyes blazed.

"Can you believe that Thalia had… had the nerve… to say that I was trying to come up with reasons that Luke is a monster? She said that I was jealous! Seriously? Me, jealous?" Gohan leaned forward, sparks dancing across his body. Aphrodite smiled, her hair shifting back to Annabeth's blonde curls.

"What in Tartarus do I have to be jealous of from that… that… asshole?! Annabeth deserves better! And she's never going to see sense until Luke is in the Field of Punishment where he belongs!" Aphrodite had a look of excitement on her face. And he could have sworn that the aura around the goddess seemed to be intensifying. She clapped her hands together.

"Put the mirror down," Aphrodite ordered. "I look fine." Gohan blinked several times, and then slowly lowered the mirror.

"What… what did you…"

"Oh, I simply eased out those pent-up emotions raging inside you." Then, Aphrodite smiled as her hair shifted back to carmel.

"So, who's Sadie?" Gohan sputtered, his face red.

"H-how?" The goddess tapped the side of her head.

"My my… you have a thing for strong, fierce-minded girls, don't you?" Gohan was so red now that he looked like a lobster.

"Now listen, Gohan," Aphrodite said. "The Hunters are your enemies. Forget them and Artemis and the monster. That's not important. You just concentrate on finding and saving Annabeth." Gohan blinked, his mind focusing on the mention of Annabeth.

"Do you know where she is?"

Aphrodite waved her hand irritably. "No, no. I leave the details to you. But it's been centuries since we've had such a good, tragic love story!"

"Whoa, first of all, I never said anything about love. And second, what's up with _tragic?_ _!_ " The goddess's eyes gleamed.

"Isn't it such a beautiful story? Two souls who never should have met, crossed paths through a chance, a twist of fate? Drawn to each other, even when the entire world is against them?" She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes.

"Oh, even the mere thought makes me emotional." Gohan wasn't sure why, but he held up a box of Kleenex to the goddess. Actually, he wasn't even sure _where_ he had gotten the box from.

"I… I don't know what you want from me."

"Love conquers all," Aphrodite promised. "Look at Helen and Paris. Did they let anything come between them?"

"Wait… didn't they start the Trojan War and get thousands of people killed?" "Pfft. That's not the point. Follow your heart. That's how you'll find Annabeth."

"But... I don't know where it's going. My heart, I mean."

She smiled sympathetically. She really was beautiful. And not just because she had a pretty face or anything. She believed in love so much, it was impossible not to feel giddy when she talked about it. Even if she thought he was the subject of a love story that belonged in a cheesy romance novel.

"Not knowing is half the fun," Aphrodite said. "Exquisitely painful, isn't it? Not being sure who you love and who loves you? Oh, it's so cute I'm going to cry."

"No, no," Gohan sputtered. "Please don't do that."

"And don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to let this be easy and boring for you. No, I have some wonderful surprises in store. Anguish. Indecision. Oh, you just wait. What a wonderful, complicated web of love!" Gohan groaned.

"First I've got Athena telling me to stay away from her daughter because she claims that I'll bring Annabeth pain and suffering, and now this." Aphrodite scoffed.

"Oh, Athena. Ignore that stubborn ass. She is the last… actually, second last, Artemis first. Okay, second from last one who should be giving any type of romantic advice. Just ignore her and go with your instinct." Gohan moaned in exasperation.

"Can't you guys please give me a break?" She giggled.

"I can tell you this much: a difficult choice looms in your future. And that choice will have a heavy cost."

"Oh wonderful. As if my life wasn't grim enough already."

"You're _so_ cute. I wish all my daughters could break the heart of a boy as delightful as you. And I will say, it's not from a lack of trying on their part. You wouldn't _believe_ how often they've prayed to me to try and win your heart." Aphrodite's eyes were tearing up.

"I... really did not to know that."

"Oh... you are a special one. And the fact that _he's_ here... well, that just makes things far more interesting. It's been a long, long time since he came here." Gohan stared at the goddess in confusion.

"What?"

"Now, you'd better go. Remember, follow your heart's desire. That's the key."

"Wait… who are you talking about? And what did you say to Percy earlier?" She smiled.

"Do be careful in my husband's territory, Gohan. Don't take anything. He is awfully fussy about his trinkets and trash."

"What?" Gohan asked.

But the car door opened and Ares grabbed his shoulder, pulling him out of the car and back into the desert night. His audience with the goddess of love was over.

"You're lucky, punk." Ares pushed Gohan away from the limo. "Be grateful."

"For what?"

"That we're being so nice. If it was up to me—"

"So why haven't you killed me? Though I gotta admit, we both know you'd lose. Again." Gohan shot back. It was a stupid thing to say to the god of war, but being around him always made him feel angry and reckless. Not to mention Aphrodite had already screwed with his emotions something fierce.

Ares nodded, like he'd finally said something intelligent.

"I'd love to kill you, seriously," he said. "But see, I got a situation. Word on Olympus is that you might start the biggest war in history. I can't risk messing that up. Besides, Aphrodite thinks you're some kinda soap-opera star or something. Got a real thing for you. Frankly, it makes me hate you even more. So if I kill you, that makes me look bad with her. But don't worry. I haven't forgotten my promise. Some day soon, kid— _real_ soon— you're going to raise your sword to fight, and you're going to remember the wrath of Ares."

Gohan balled his fists. "Why wait? I beat you once. How's that face healing up?"

He grinned crookedly. "Not bad, punk. But you got nothing on the master of taunts. I'll start the fight when I'm good and ready. Until then... Get lost."

He snapped his fingers and the world did a three-sixty, spinning in a cloud of red dust. Gohan fell to the ground.

When he stood up again, the limousine was gone. The road, the taco restaurant, the whole town of Gila Claw was gone. Gohan and his friends were standing in the middle of the junkyard, mountains of scrap metal stretched out in every direction.


End file.
